Learn To Fly Free
by VixenRaign
Summary: [NEWEST Up-Date! 08,11,2004] Dinah is learning how to be a better super-hero and deal with her confusing (and often erratic) emotions at the same time. Meanwhile, she and Helena a learning to help themselves and each-other. (DinahHelena)
1. Personal Persons

Disclaimer: I don't own The Birds Of Prey, they belong to DC Comics and the Warner Brothers Network.  
  
Rating: PG-13 (for now)  
  
Spoilers: Starts just after Episode #8: "Lady Shiva", but moves all the way to the end of the season.  
  
Warning: This is a story that revolves around a Slash-Romance of Helena/Dinah, if that bothers you or is illegal in your area, then please DO NOT READ; you have been warned!  
  
Distribution: Want, Ask, Have. Just drop me a line, and I'll send it your way!  
  
Author's Note: I am a *HUGE* fan of the show, have them all on tape, but I have never written any Birds Of Prey FanFiction before. Therefore! Any advice would be greatly appreciated and any flames will be used to heat my house as heating is getting expensive.  
  
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= = = (*Our Un-Thought Thoughts*) = = =  
  
Dinah lashed out at the punching bag, beating it with all her might, wanting to work out all this frustration that had been building inside of her. She hated this tightly packed bag of wool, with it's pleather exterior, she hated the duct tape that had to be placed over the over- worked areas, but most of all . . . she hated herself for hating it. She needed something to despise, to loathe, to detest. The pain never stopped, and the only emotion she felt that was stronger then the pain was her hate. It kept her focused, it kept her sane. Well, that and a certain associate . . .  
  
"Dinah! Take it easy on the bag, will ya? You've almost worn a hole in it already." Helena called from across the room where she was stretching. Dinah smiled sheepishly, and walked over to the bench. As she unwrapped her gloves from her hands, she watched Helena stretching. {She's so limber,} she thought, {Hmm . . . must be another Huntress Super-Power}. Weather it was a Huntress thing or a Helena thing, Dinah didn't care. They were the same person in the same body, and Dinah admired the whole package. The only problem was, the young girl was admiring it a little too much.  
  
Dinah sat down and looked over at her flat-out-refused-to-be-mentor. She was breathtaking. Dinah had been fascinated with Helena since their first encounter, and that fascination turned into Aw as they started spending more time together. Somewhere along the lines her fascination turned into affection, and now she didn't know what to do. She had never been attracted to women before, but she certainly didn't mind it now. Helena got up and set out the mats for them to work with.  
  
"Okay Super-Kid, lets see what you've got." Dinah sighed at being called Super-Kid, she did have a name, and she didn't understand why Helena loved to point out the fact that she was older. Walking onto the mat the young girl got into her ready position. Helena nodded and dove at her, Dinah moved aside and turned to face her. Helena reached out and grabbed Dinah by the front of her shirt, pulling her in slightly. Dinah smiled almost evilly.  
  
She didn't pull away, but instead grabbed onto Helena's hand that was holding the fabric of her shirt, not allowing the Huntress to let go. She then slammed her first down on her fore-arm, hitting the nerve near the elbow. Helena tried to pull her arm away, but Dinah's grip wouldn't let her. Dinah quickly stepped back and Helena fell forward as the blonde wrapped her leg around one of Huntress's causing her to fall to the ground. Dinah released her grip, and Helena sprung to her feet, smiling at the young girl.  
  
"Not bad, Kid. You seem to be learning Kung-Fu quite well." Dinah only half smiled.  
  
"Why do you insist on calling me Kid?" she asked sounding half annoyed half curious. Helena smiled at her, and stood in her ready position.  
  
"Well, it's fitting, you *are* a kid. Besides, it's just a nick-name. Don't take it too personally." She attacked Dinah again, this time with a series of punches, all of which Dinah blocked. That is, until Helena started to cheat a little. Slipping into Huntress-Mode, eyes turning amber and cat-like, she started going fast, but Dinah held her own for a while. Finally, she got her opening, and Helena got the young girl into a head lock.  
  
"What are you gonna do now, kid?" it wasn't jarring, just a question, as though quizzing Dinah on her fighting knowledge.  
  
"Improvise." She jumped up, and slammed her heels into Helena's knee-caps, causing them to fall back onto the mat, though the grip around her neck was still strong. Dinah swung her legs to the left, and twisted her body so that now she was able to squirm out of the Huntress's grip. Both got up, and took a few deep breaths.  
  
"Good move." Helena breathed, "You think that one up on your own?" Dinah nodded. "It was good, but you'd lose some points for effectiveness. What are the four moves one must achieve in order to win a Kung-Fu fight?" Dinah sighed, she preferred learning how to fight the particle way, by experience.  
  
"Block, cause pain, disarm, neutralize opponent." Helena smiled and nodded, asking which step she forgotten. "Neutralize. You could have gotten up and chased after me."  
  
"Good. Now, what could you have done to keep me from going after you?" Dinah thought for a second.  
  
"Step on your crotch when I went to get up?" Helena actually laughed, but nodded.  
  
"I hadn't though of that one, Kid. Glad you didn't think of it at the time." She tossed Dinah her towel and a bottle of water. "Why don't you work with the Body-Bag for a while, practice with some weapons for a bit, and then take a shower and do your homework." Dinah nodded and went over to the weapons case.  
  
"Do you think I could go out and do a sweep with you later?" Dinah loved going on sweeps, but Helena always babied her, not letting her do things on her own. She turned around, collapsible fighting sticks in hand, waiting for the brunette's reply.  
  
"I dunno, maybe if it's a slow night. Things haven't been to active lately so . . . sure. Get your work done and then talk to Barbara." Dinah had a million watt smile on her face as Helena left to get a snack from the fridge.  
  
{She's cute,} Helena thought as she searched for the elusive box of pop- tarts, {glad she decided to stay with us}. Helena would never admit it, but she did actually like the young girl. Barbara had always been her mentor, her trainer, which meant telling her what to do, where to go, and so on and so forth. Now that Dinah was the Rookie, not only did that take the training focus off Helena, but it also allowed her to trade rolls. Now she got to be the adult, the one with knowledge, the one teaching and leading. True, Barbara did it too, but at least now she was a little more independent.  
  
But Helena didn't just like Dinah as a student, she was also someone that she genuinely cared about. She was a good friend. When she first got here, and they were fighting Slick Waters, Dinah rushed out to save Helena when she barely even knew her. No one ever just stuck her neck out for Helena like that except for Barbara, but she'd known her since she was born. Dinah meant something to her, and that scared her.  
  
Barbara could take care of herself, and they never really had to fight side by side due to Barbara's disability . . . but Dinah was a whole different story. She wanted to go out there and save the world, she wanted to be in the middle of the action, taking on the bad guys and being the hero. It was Helena's job to lookout for her and train her. If Dinah ever got hurt Helena didn't know what she would do, and it would be her fault. She knew that Dinah was good, and could handle her self quite well, but there was always the unexpected. What if Dinah was in trouble and Helena could not get to her in time? Helena didn't want to think about it, the thoughts scared her too much.  
  
The toaster clicked, and she took out her pop-tarts and put them on a plate. Suddenly, the plate floated out of her hand. Helena, to scared to pause and think, started punching at the air around the plate. She stopped when she heard Dinah laugh from the other side of the room. Looking over at the blonde Helena saw Dinah staring at the plate unblinkingly as it floated over to her.  
  
"What, you thought we had a ghost or something?" Dinah asked sitting down on the coach. Helena tried not to smile, but it was hard, it had been a pretty cool trick.  
  
"No, more like invisible Meta loose in the Clock-Tower . . ." Helena sat down next to the young girl, taking her plate back and biting into her toaster-pastries. "Since when can you do that? Last I checked you could only shake stuff when you were really pissed off . . . well, that and throw things without meaning to." Dinah smiled smugly.  
  
"It's pretty cool, huh? I've been practicing." Helena broke off a piece of her snack and handed it to Dinah. "Thanks." They sat their eating quietly until Barbara came in, looking a little more tired than usual. She huffed and wheeled in front of her computer, getting ready for work. They watched her as she typed furiously, opening files and sighing every now and then. The two girls on the couch looked at each other and then back at the huffy red-head.  
  
"What's up Barb? We didn't hear the Dalphi monitors go off . . ." Helena asks slowly. Barbara turned around, and looked at them sadly. She ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath.  
  
"It's nothing, just something I have to deal with on my own." She got a stern look from both girls after saying this.  
  
"That went *so well* last time as I recall." Helena said sarcastically with a hint of anger. The incident with Lady Shiva had been particularly hard for Huntress, finding out her best-friend was a criminal and Bat-Girl's Arch nemesis. "Really Barbara, what is it? We can help. Besides, I promised the Kid some action tonight." Barbara sighed and pulled the files up on the big screen. There on the large monitor was a picture of a boy in the grade above Dinah by the name of Bryan Tickson.  
  
"I know him, he's the captain of the track team. What did he do, rob a bank?" Dinah sounded concerned, which oddly enough made Helena uneasy. Barbara turned around and started typing again.  
  
"Not exactly. It's nothing Crime related, well . . . not exactly. It's a school mater, and I have to take care of it as soon as possible." Helena got up and walked over to her red-headed friend. She gently touched her shoulder, wanting an explanation.  
  
"What did he do Barb?" She glanced up, but then went back to her typing.  
  
"He um . . . he's failing my class. He hasn't handed in enough homework to pass, and his Quiz and Test scores are practically in the negatives. I need to get in contact with the school and set up a meeting with the disciplinary committee." Helena wasn't buying it.  
  
"Okay, I know I haven't been in high school for a while, but why would you contact the *disciplinary* committee because a kid is FAILING? Isn't that something that you'd bring up with his advisor and the principle? I didn't think that Academic Instability was something that was related to discipline . . ." Helena said slowly.  
  
"It's not." Dinah said, now very curious herself, "Gabby is on the disciplinary committee, they deal with things like destruction of public property, or substance abuse, not things related to truancy or Grades." Dinah walked slowly towards the desk as well, looking at the screen. She read the first part of the E-Mail that Barbara had been writing to the Dean about Bryan. The words 'Taunting', 'Threaten', and 'Harassment' stood out more than anything else. "What did he say to you?" she asked slowly. The oldest woman sighed, and hung her head slightly.  
  
"He threatened me. Told me that if I didn't change his grades that he wouldn't get to run track anymore because of Academic Probation. He said that he was counting on track to get into colleges and that if he didn't get in . . . he could get his father to file a law suit. He told me 'not to waste everyone's time, and just change the grades'." Barbara sighed, and went back to typing.  
  
"When I told him that it would be pointless, and that he didn't scare me . . . he grabbed the arms of my chair and wouldn't let me move. Started saying things to me about how I couldn't get away from him, about how he was one of the fastest runners in the state, and I could only go about a mile and hour because of my chair. He told me he wanted the grades changed and that I'd better do what he says 'Or Else' . . . then he shoved my chair back." She huffed and kept typing.  
  
"What a bastard." Helena said disgustedly, "You know this Kid, Dinah?" Helena asked. Dinah was glad she didn't call her 'Kid' for once, but refrained from commenting.  
  
"Yeah, he's in my AP Physics class," she looked at the monitor, "And it looks like my assumptions were right when I bet Gabby he wasn't passing." She smiled slightly, "Looks like I just won five bucks." Helena laughed and shook her head.  
  
"I take it he's not the sharpest tool in the shed?" she asked, looking at the grades herself. Barbara smiled and minimized the windows.  
  
"Okay, these are classified files, and this is a PRIVATE school matter, so *please* just let me work?" They both left her to finish. Dinah went to take a shower while Helena changed to head off to The Dark Horse for her shift. When she came down the ramp she saw Dinah in nothing but a towel gathering up her school stuff. Suddenly, Helena could not tell you why, the room became very warm as she watched the young girl reach down to pick up her bag. Helena shook it off, and headed for the elevator.  
  
"See ya later Kid," Helena said smiling as the doors closed.  
  
"My Name Is DINAH!" she yelled quickly. She laughed. It was an okay nick-name, but she wished she'd be called by her actual name more often. She went to her room and changed, getting ready to do her homework. {I can't wait to go on patrol} she thought with a groan as she pulled out her Civics book.  
  
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= = = (*Old Enough To Know Better*) = = =  
  
{Just my luck,} Helena thought as she ran from roof-top to roof-top, {The one night I'd promise Super-Kid she could come with me, and there's a Bank Robbery!}. Helena jumped off the side of a building and glided to the fire escape on the building opposite. She quickly jumped the rest of the way down, and poked her head out of the ally. Across the street was The Second Bank of New Gothem. She watched as Dinah pulled up in the Hummer, got out, and walked over towards her.  
  
"Got your communicator on?" she asked quietly. The younger girl nodded, and Helena turned hers on too. "You there, Oracle?"  
  
"I'm here Huntress, what's your status?"   
  
"I can see about three guys, all armed, and four hostages." Helena looked to Dinah, "You sure you're ready for this?"  
  
"I'm ready." She looked set, but Helena was still worried. She quickly changed into Huntress-Mode, and smiled.  
  
"Then lets go kick some ass!" She ran across the street and burst through the window of the bank, spraying the criminals with broken glass. She landed, ready to fight. Dinah jumped through the now broken window, going into a roll, and coming up behind one of the robbers. She quickly kicked him, bringing him to his knees and she kicked the gun away.  
  
"Hope you don't mind that we crashed the party!" Dinah said menacingly. {Hey! I get to say the puns!} Helena thought indignantly as she kicked one of the two men that had advanced on her.  
  
"Dinah, go take care of the hostages."   
  
Dinah ran over to the corner where the security guards where being held and untied their ropes. She told them to stay down as they suddenly heard shots ring out. Dinah quickly turned to see Huntress swinging from the fire-sprinkler pipes on the ceiling, kicking the criminals with shocking force. Suddenly, Dinah was grabbed from behind, a strong arm wrapped around her stomach.  
  
"NOBODY MOVE!" the man yelled, pressing his gun into Dinah's temple. The two men stopped fighting, and Huntress jumped down slowly. "Just lettus walk outta here, and nobody's gonna get hurt." Helena looked from the gun to Dinah and back again.  
  
"Dinah, don't move. Just do what he says, and let Huntress deal with this."   
  
"What are you gonna do now?" The man holding Dinah asked threateningly. Helena looked at the young girl pointedly, and said  
  
"Improvise . . ." Dinah smiled, and jumped off the ground, slamming her heels into the man's knees. As they fell hard on the floor, Dinah elbowed him hard in the ribs, causing him to drop the gun. She quickly turned around and stepped on his crotch when she got up. Helena had already knocked the two other guys out.  
  
"Not bad, Kid." Helena said, punching the last man out. "You did really well tonight." Dinah beamed at her, but the smile was short lived.  
  
"You however, did not Huntress . . ."   
  
Barbara sounded mad, and nothing was scarier then a pissed off Oracle. Helena cringed, and looked out the window towards the car. She nodded her head, indicating that they should leave as they heard sirens in the distance. They both piled into the Hummer, and made their way back to the tower.  
  
As they entered the clock-tower they were met with a very upset Barbara sitting behind her desk. She took off her glasses, and put them on the table next to the computer. She crooked her finger at Helena who tried to look innocent and confused. Barbara wasn't buying it, and Dinah knew it.  
  
"I told her not to move, and that you would deal with it. You're supposed to teach her how to fight properly, not teach her not to listen to me." She sounded both annoyed and exasperated, but Helena wouldn't let her finish.  
  
"But you didn't see her! She did really well, and I knew she'd be fine. Besides, what was I supposed to do, let him get away with the money?"  
  
"YES! If it means that Dinah is safe, then YES! The life of a partner is far more important than some guys getting away with a robbery! Besides, the cops would have picked them up eventually or we would have found them." Barbara sighed, and stopped Helena before she could interrupt again. "I'll admit that Dinah is very capable, and she did very well tonight," she turned to look at Dinah as well giving her a small smile, "But you need to teach her how to handle a situation like that if she's ever out on her own. Okay?" Helena put on a face of indifference, and waved it off.  
  
"Fine, whatever." She walked over to the kitchen and looked for the dinner they had been left by Alfred. Barbara looked to Dinah and smiled.  
  
"You really did do well tonight. You've made amazing progress. Perhaps you can go on sweeps more often?" Dinah smiled and nodded.  
  
"Thanks. It was actually fun. I didn't even need the Bird-O-Rang." She placed it back on the table, and went to join Helena at the table. Barbara smiled as she watched them eating, chatting about what had happened and about other little nothings. {I wonder how long it'll take Helena to realize what's going on?} She wondered, and laughed to herself. Turning back to her work, she thought about the possibilities.  
  
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( To Be Continued . . .) ~ VixenRaign ~ 


	2. What Lies Within

(Please Note: The spoilers in the first chapter have been up-dated and some editing has been done as well. This chapter takes places after "Nature Of The Beast", Episode #9.)  
  
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It had been three days since the incident at the hospital with Al Hawk, and Dinah was still recovering. That one day had taken a lot out of her. She had been lied to by Barbara and Helena, who she had almost killed with her flying-cutlery routine, and she had ended up saving the man that killed her mother. Now she was back in the training room, working the bag as always to clear her mind. She pounded on it, beating the hard fixture with all the strength she had, hitting it until her hands hurt through the gloves. Pain she understood, why she saved Hawk . . .  
  
"Hey Kid!" Dinah spun around. There in the door-way stood Helena, her outfit as aggressive as the brunette's attitude. "Take it easy or you won't have enough energy to go on a sweep with me tonight." Helena gave her a small smile, but Dinah didn't return it.  
  
"I don't think I'm gonna go tonight. I have a History test tomorrow." She turned back to the bag but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. There, standing behind her, was Huntress. She actually looked disappointed.  
  
"But you promised. You've been training non-stop for three days. Don't you think it's about time you started beating the crap out of REAL people?" The younger girl sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry . . ." She really was, she had no idea that Helena really wanted her out there fighting with her, "I just can't tonight. I told Gabby we'd study together. Besides, it's because of all my training that I should really stay home; I know almost nothing of what's going to be on this test." Dinah took a slow deep breath and continued. "Anyways, I don't want to take my anger out on anyone that doesn't deserve it." Helena looked almost confused.  
  
"Who deserves to get their butt kicked by a high-school-girl more then criminals?" Dinah actually smiled at that, {It's a start . . .} Helena thought. "Tomorrow night then?" Dinah nodded, and went back to the bag. Helena headed to the door, watching her for a few seconds. The blonde was hitting the target so hard it had strength almost to match The Huntress' . . . and that worried Helena. Whatever was going on it the Kid's mind, it wasn't good.  
  
The brunette sat down on the couch, enjoying her night off from the bar by watching a little TV. It was an old show that had been really popular when Barbara was younger; they had watched the reruns together when Helena had first moved in. just as the episode was ending, Dinah walked out of the training room, hands wrapped still.  
  
"Helena!" Dinah said, obviously surprised to see her. She tucked her hands awkwardly under armpits. "What are you still doing here?" Helena got up slowly, switching off the TV.  
  
"Waiting for Barbara to get home . . ." she walked over slowly, and the blonde took a nervous step back. Realizing it would be best to cut to the chase, "What happened to your hands?" the older woman asked sternly.  
  
"My hands?" Helena nodded, "Nothing. They're fine, just . . . fine. I'm going to go shower now-"  
  
"I don't think so." Helena said, stopping the girl as she turned towards the washroom. She pulled her arms out from their hiding place, and her eyes widened at what she saw. The wraps that Dinah had been wearing under were stained with blood. "Dinah what happened?"  
  
She slowly unwrapped the fabric, and the blonde winced slightly. Helena took her over to the kitchen, turned on some cold water, and ran the girl's hands under it. The blood cleared away, but her fingers were still slightly swollen. There were scrapes on and between her knuckles, they weren't too bad, but the fact that they were there at all made the older girl very upset.  
  
"How did this happen Dinah?" Helena ask in her no-nonsense-voice. Dinah looked down at her feet.  
  
"I think I might have been wearing them too tight."  
  
"You must have felt them cutting into you?" Helena asked. She knew that if Dinah hadn't felt it they had a whole new problem to worry about.  
  
"I know I just . . . didn't care." Helena took a dish-towel off the counter and started to gently dry the Kid's hands. {At least she's letting me take care of her.} she thought. No sooner had she thought it than Dinah pulled away. She walked over to the couch and sat down heavily, head in her hands. Helena went to sit down next to her, not too close, she didn't want to crowd her.  
  
"Is it wrong to hate someone?" she asked, voice muffled through her hands. Helena sighed, she really wasn't good at this kind of thing.  
  
"I'm not sure. If it's unjustified, or misplaced, then yes. But I think you have a very good reason to hate Hawk." Dinah looked up at her, slightly pink in the cheeks,  
  
"Am I that transparent?" she asked slowly. Helena put an arm around Dinah's shoulders, and patted her back gently.  
  
"You're not transparent." She said slowly, "I'd be feeling the same way. Granted, if it were me, Hawk would probably be dead." Dinah looked at her, confused. "I meant what I said Kid . . . I don't think I could have do what you did." She smiled, and continued. "You have a good heart, bigger than any I've ever seen, and that's what makes you such a great super- hero." Dinah look sad again as tears brimmed in her eyes.  
  
"I'll never be as good as my mother though." Her voice shook as she said it.  
  
"Good." The younger girl's head shot up to look at her. "You have so much more potential than your mother. She was great, and a legend, but I think you have the potential to be something incredible." Her voice got quiet as she went on. "We're only made out of our parents Dinah, what we decide to do with what they gave us is up to us." Dinah smiled. "Besides, your mother and mine didn't seem to get along . . . she didn't seem to like me either. Direct proof that mothers and daughters are very different people." Dinah actually laughed.  
  
"But I don't want to forget her. She left some pretty big foot-prints to fallow in."  
  
"You don't have to fallow them, ya know?" Helena said pointedly, "Walk along side them, but make your own path. Find your own way in life."  
  
"I was thinking . . ." Dinah started, but stopped herself, realizing how dumb it would sound.  
  
"What?" Helena asked, watching the girl fall silent.  
  
"Nothing." Dinah made to get up, but the older girl pulled her back down with the hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You wouldn't have said it if it was 'nothing'." Dinah blushed and looked away.  
  
"You all have really cool nick-names." She said quietly.  
  
"What?" Helena asked, slightly confused.  
  
"You guys, all the 'real' super-heroes. Dark Strike, Huntress, Oracle, BatMan . . . I was thinking about maybe using my mothers." Dinah blushed again, and Helena smiled.  
  
"Nah, doesn't suit you. Besides, you should come up with your own."  
  
"I was thinking about that." Dinah said slowly, "But I want it to be at least partly like my mother's." Helena thought for a minute, running her hand over the smaller girl's head. {Why am I touching her hair?} She wondered. Looking at her hand, and the body it was attached to, she realized the girl didn't mind. She also realized that she herself was enjoying it. {It is pretty comforting}.  
  
"How about," Helena said, running her fingers through some of the flowing blonde hair, "The Golden Canary?" Dinah looked at her like she was nuts. "What?" she asked defensively.  
  
"Oh yeah, that'll strike fear into the hearts of Evil-Doers . . . a animal you can buy at a pet store." Now that she thought about it, it made Helena laugh.  
  
"Alright, I'll admit, not a very scary animal." She kept running her handover the girl's hair and back. "Why don't we stick with the Black part then and drop the Canary?" Dinah nodded in agreement.  
  
"Sounds good, but lets stick with the bird theme too." She thought aloud.  
  
"What about Black Hawk?" Helena said before thinking, sitting this close to Dinah seemed to be doing weird stuff to her head. The younger girl looked at her through the corner of her eyes, and shook head.  
  
"I don't think so. First of all; no longer a big fan of those birds, secondly; it's a type of a helicopter." Helena nodded.  
  
"Well, I don't know many other birds . . ." she said, deep in thought, "Unless you want to be the Black-Pigeon." Dinah smiled.  
  
"Also not very gruesome." She took a deep breath and sighed, enjoying this little moment of closeness with Huntress. She paused to think for a moment, then it came to her. "What about The Black Falcon?" Helena looked a little lost.  
  
"The Black What?" she asked. Dinah laughed.  
  
"Falcon. Their a small Bird Of Prey, very fast, and have exceptional eyesight." Dinah looked excited.  
  
"Hmm, The Black Falcon . . ." Helena let it roll of her tongue as though tasting it for the first time. It felt good. "Seems fitting. You're little - well, littler than most super-heroes, you are pretty quick, and you do have that Sight into the mind trick or yours. I like it." With Helena's seal of approval Dinah was already in love with it.  
  
"And!" Dinah added quickly, "There are loads of them in the city. They're high-flying birds that can be seen making nests at the tops of sky-rises and they help keep the city's rat population down."  
  
"Hmm, very nice. We'll have to tell Barbara. I bet she'll like it, very educational." Both girls laughed. And Helena gave her a hug. {Why don't I hug her more often? This feels really nice.} Helena wondered. She remembered back to when Dinah had first come to the Clock-Tower. She had been afraid to touch the young girl for fear of her finding out things that The Huntress kept locked in side. She ran a hand gently over the girls back.  
  
"You know you can always talk to me right?" she whispered to the girl. Dinah nodded, taken aback by the brunette's show of affection. She was usually such an emotionally closed off person Dinah knew better than to waste it. "I won't think you're weird. If there's ever anything you don't want to tell Barbara, you can always come to me, Okay?" Dinah nodded.  
  
Helena held her tighter, not wanting to let go. She hadn't hugged anyone in ages, and she was realizing how much she missed it. The smell of the girls hair was intoxicating, like Oranges and Cream. Without really thinking, she kissed her neck lightly. She felt Dinah shiver, and the warm tingle that ran through her own body at her lips contact with the blonde's skin. She kissed her neck again, and then her temple, and then her cheek, and finally her soft pink lips.  
  
She was lost in the feeling. The pure and flawless sensation of pleasure that bubbled just under her skin and inside her stomach. She wasn't used to this. She was used to Passion, and searing heat, but not this slow, burning, seeded feeling of aching need. Her motto had always been the famous barrowed words of 'Get Some, Get Gone'. This kiss from Dinah was changing her mind on more than just a few things. She pulled back gently, eyes closed, mouth taking in as many deep breaths as she could.  
  
"Helena . . ." The breathless whisper that came from below her shook her out of her thoughts. Her eyes snapped open to find herself atop Dinah on Barbara's couch. Slowly, Dinah's eyes opened too.  
  
"Oh My God!" Helena whispered. She quickly jumped off the girl, a look of deep confusion covering her face. " . . . Oh My God . . ." she whispered to herself.  
  
"Helena," Dinah said gently, sitting up.  
  
"Oh Shit!" The older woman quickly ran a hand through her short brown hair, making it stand on end slightly. Dinah got up.  
  
"Helena, I can explain-" she moved to put a hand on the Huntress' shoulder, but the older girl brushed it off quickly.  
  
"Damn right you can explain! What the hell just happened?! Where you inside my mind again?!" Dinah's look of worry turned to a look of pain.  
  
"You think I did this?" she asked quietly. Helena had regretted it the moment she said it, but it was too late to go back now. She had started on the defensive, and now she was flying blind. When in doubt, blame someone else.  
  
"Well this wasn't my idea!" she yelled, not sure if that was true. "What, you think I randomly kiss my female co-workers all the time?" Dinah's eyes filled with tears, and she turned away.  
  
"I didn't do this, Helena, and you know it." She said slowly, her voice shaking violently. "But that doesn't mean I didn't want it to happen." If Helena didn't have super-hearing she wouldn't have caught the last part. Dinah reached up to wipe her tears away and faced Huntress again. Helena's face was stone, emotionless, lifeless, and that could not be more contradicting of what was boiling inside her.  
  
"I've gotta go. I have to get to work." Helena pulled her communicator and earrings off, leaving them on Barbara's desk as she headed for the door.  
  
"Helena, Wait!" Dinah called, running to the elevator. But it was too late. The doors had closed, and The Huntress was gone. Dinah sunk to the floor, tears streaming down her face. She didn't want this. She knew what Kissing Helena would cost her, that was all that kept her from doing it herself. Had she done it? She didn't know anymore. She didn't want to lose Helena, she was her Hero, and her Friend. Also . . . she Loved her. She wasn't sure how long she stayed there down on the floor crying, but it must have been a while. She didn't get up until the doors opened again.  
  
Barbara wheeled in, shocked to find Dinah there on the ground. She rushed over to her, reaching down to try and help her up.  
  
"Dinah, what happened? Where's Huntress?" Dinah shook her head.  
  
"She's not here, she left. She had to go to work." She wiped her eyes and looked down at her shoes.  
  
"Helena got the night off, the Dark Horse is closed for re-wiring and to restock the supply closet . . ." Barbara looked closely at the young girl and put a hand on her shoulder. "Dinah, please . . . tell me what happened?" Dinah looked apprehensive, but didn't know what to do. {Oracle know Helena better than anyone, she'll know what I should do . . . but will she freak out if I tell her?} her internal debate didn't last very long, she was more afraid of losing Huntress' trust then having Barbara mad at her for a few days.  
  
"Helena and I . . ." she started, but didn't quite know how to word it. "We kind of kissed, and she freaked out." She got it out in a rush, hoping that she wouldn't have to repeat herself. Barbara's eyes bugged out to the point where she looked like one of those Japanese Gold-Fish.  
  
"Helena Kissed you?" she asked slowly. Dinah nodded. "You didn't kiss her, she kissed you?" another nod. "Well, that's something I didn't expect . . ." Dinah bowed her head, letting her hair fall into her face, "I always thought you'd be the one to kiss her." Like a cork out of a bottle the blonde's head shot back up.  
  
"What?!" Barbara laughed.  
  
"I may not be as young as you, but I know when people are in Love." Dinah blushed. {She thinks I'm just talking about her . . .} Barbara though, laughing to herself. "Tell me exactly what happened." And she did. Dinah told her what had happened with her hands, to Helena taking care of her when she was crying (which really seemed to surprise even Oracle), all the way until Helena ran out into the Elevator. Barbara gave the girl a hug, and led her over to the couch.  
  
"I don't know what to do. She blames me, but I didn't do it . . . I don't think." She ran a hand through her slightly messy hair, and sighed. "What do you think I should do?" She looked so lost and scared the older woman knew that Dinah really did love The Huntress.  
  
"Don't worry. This will just have to take time. She'll be here tomorrow and you two can talk then. She'll realized that you didn't do it, and it'll all blow over." Dinah looked down at her shoes, and then back at the red-head.  
  
"What if I don't want it to blow over?" She just gave her a small smile and shrugged.  
  
"Do you mind if I Invite Gabby over? I Promised I would study with her on the phone, but I could really use a friend right now?" Barbara nodded, and Dinah went to the phone. After a few rings, Gabby picked up.  
  
"Hello?" she sounded chipper as ever.  
  
"Hey, Gabby? It's Dinah."  
  
"Hey D, what's up?"  
  
"Could you come over to study tonight?" somehow Gabby could tell that something Best-Friend-worthy had happened.  
  
"Sure thing Di, I'll be over in a few minutes - " she suddenly stopped. "Wait a second! Where do you live?" Dinah realized that Gabby had never been to the clock-tower.  
  
"Do you know where the Clock-Tower is?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I live in one of the apartments inside. I'll wait for you outside and show you up, okay?" Gabby agreed, and they said their good-byes. As she hung up the phone Barbara rolled over, Helena's Com Set in hand. Both women frowned, and looked out into the city.  
  
"Looks like New Gothem will have to deal with us taking a night off . . ." Barbara said slowly.  
  
"Better call Reese." Dinah said. "He'd want to know that Helena is taking a night off. Give the police the heads up that they're gonna have their hands full tonight." The older woman nodded and picked up the phone.  
  
Dinah took a quick shower, and cleaned her room a little. She then went out-side to wait for Gabby to arrive. The redhead watched her go sadly. Helena could be a real jerk sometimes. {She better use her time wisely, she's got a lot to make up for . . .}.  
  
.  
  
( To Be Continued . . .) 


	3. Good Friends Are Hard To Find

= = = (*Good Friends Are Hard To Find*) = = =  
  
Dinah waited out side the Clock-Tower for Gabby. After a few minutes, her cab pulled up, and the blonde got out. She paid the driver, and walked briskly over to where her friend stood waiting by the entrance. After a few quick hellos, Dinah led Gabby inside and towards the Elevator.  
  
"So what's up, you sounded kinda upset on the phone?" Gabby asked as they stepped into the booth. "The thing with Bryan being suspended getting you down? You liked him, right?" Dinah shook her head, smiling. The truth was she hadn't, but when Gabby had once asked her who she had a crush on she'd said the name of the next boy walking down the hall-way . . . which had happen to be Bryan.  
  
"No, that's not it." She said looking down at her shuffling feet, "It's more of a Family thing." Dinah reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bandana. "I'm gonna have to ask you to wear this." Gabby looked at her like she was crazy.  
  
"You're kidding, right? Not only is it a fashion No, but it also doesn't match a thing I have on." Dinah laughed and held it out to her.  
  
"Not on your head, over your eyes." Gabby looked at her with surprise and a fake leer.  
  
"Why Dinah, we haven't even dated yet!" Both girls burst out laughing. Dinah walked over and began to tie the scarf around Gabby's eyes. "What's this for? Not want me to see you're room?"  
  
"No, the person I live with has a very private life-style and would like to keep it that way. We can take it off once we reach my room, but until then . . ." Gabby sighed.  
  
"This couldn't have waited until the front door?" she asked thinking this was all just a little weird.  
  
"Nope." She said, waving a hand in front of the girl's face to make sure she really couldn't see. She couldn't.  
  
"Why not?" she asked, waving a hand in front of her own face.  
  
"There isn't one. We live in the penthouse behind the clock-face." Gabby's jaw almost dropped down to the basement.  
  
"What?! Who do you live with, Bruce Wane?!" Dinah held in a laughed, and was glad that the other girl couldn't see her blushing just then.  
  
"You have no idea . . ." Dinah said more to her self that the other girl. After a few seconds silence, Gabby spoke.  
  
"When we get inside your room, you're gonna explain the whole needing me to come over thing, right?" Dinah nodded. "Was that a yes? I can't see . . ." Dinah told that it was a yes, and stood in front of the doors as they opened. "You're not gonna let me walk into things are you?"  
  
"Nope." Dinah said, walking out into the living area. "Oh, actually - " Dinah walked over and un-tied the bandana from the other girl's head. " - looks like we won't need this." All around the Dalphi monitors and Barbara's work area where large Japanese screens. She could see shadows moving behind them, and knew that Oracle was hard at work.  
  
"Wow . . ." Gabby said, walking over to the clock-window and pressing her hands against it, a look of total aw on her face. "Why didn't you tell me you lived with a Fortion 500 stock-holder?"  
  
"Because," Barbara said, rolling from behind the screens, a look of amusement on her face, "She doesn't." Gabby looked like she was going to have a heart-attack. "Hello Gabby."  
  
"Hey Ms. Gordon." Gabby said giving a small nervious wave. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Uh, I live here." She said smiling. Gabby turned to Dinah quickly, a look of shock on her face.  
  
"You live with her?" Dinah nodded, blushing slightly, "I thought you said that the person you lived with was supposed to be a secret?"  
  
"I'm Dinah's foster parent while she's here in New Gothem. We don't want to tell students at the school, but the administration knows." Gabby nodded.  
  
"But, what's with the cool pad? And the curtain? What's all that about?" she asked, looking between Dinah and Ms. Gordon. Barbara cleared her throat and continued.  
  
"Inheritance. A friend left it to me after . . ." she looked away and then back at Gabby. "As for the screens, well, I do a lot of work for the city besides foster care, and most of it is revolving around classified information. When I heard you were coming over . . . I thought the screens would allow me to work uninterrupted." Gabby nodded. "You two going to study for Ms. Mitchell's History Exam?" Dinah nodded. Taking Gabby by the elbow, Dinah lead her up the ramp and towards her room.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you lived with Ms. Gordon?!" Gabby asked in a loud whisper that traveled down to Barbara's ears.  
  
"Right, and have you make fun of me?" Dinah asked back, just as loud.  
  
"I wouldn't have laughed! I think it's cool."  
  
"Cool?" Dinah asked skeptically.  
  
"Yeah, have you even *seen* my spelling? I wish I lived with an English professor!" Dinah laughed.  
  
"What, you're mom doesn't tell you how to spell things?" Gabby snorted indignantly as she approached the girl's room.  
  
"Are you kidding? She always just tells me 'Look it up in the Dictionary' . . . I mean, PLEASE! How can I look it up in the dictionary if I don't know how to spell it in the first place?!" both girls laughed as they entered Dinah's room. Sitting down on her bed, Dinah pulled out her books.  
  
"You cleaned." Gabby stated. Dinah looked up.  
  
"What?" Dinah asked, slightly confused.  
  
"Your room, you cleaned it." She said, sitting down in the other girl's desk chair.  
  
"Huh?" Dinah asked, feigning deafness.  
  
"I can tell. No girl our age has a room this spotless, unless she's a neat-freak . . ." Gabby said holding in a laugh, "And I've seen your locker, so you *must* have cleaned." Dinah's jaw dropped dramatically as she tossed her pillow at the Blonde, who caught it. "Take it easy! We'll play later, study now." Gabby got her books out and opened their History Text.  
  
"Are we going to have to know the Spanish American War?" Dinah asked, looking nervous. Gabby nodded. " Then maybe we should start with that -"  
  
"But that's what we've been learning all week." Gabby said quickly, a note of questioning in her voice, "Shouldn't we work on the old stuff first?"  
  
"I was kinda spaced out all week . . . Humor me and quiz me on the dates for the Cuban rebellion?" Dinah asked in a slightly pleading tone. Gabby nodded, and they were off. Dinah was glad, though her guesses were almost all wrong. {At least she's not asking me about the stuff with Helena . . .} she thought.  
= = = (*Asking Questions, & Testing Theories*) = = =  
  
"Okay, What took place on July 1st 1989?" Gabby asked slowly. Dinah's guesses were getting worse and worse. They had started out just fine, then they seemed to take a slide downward after the first two hours.  
  
"Um, They took the city of Santiago without force?" Dinah guessed with a yawn. Gabby gave her a look like she was nuts. "What?" she asked defensively.  
  
"The Battle Of San Juan Hill!" That's the only really huge famous thing in this whole war!" Gabby laughed. "Remember, with Teddy Roosevelt charging up the hill and all that garble? You had it about an hour ago." Dinah nodded, and looked out the window for what had to be the 1000th time. "Okay, that's it, Break time. You need to let your brain rest, then maybe this stuff will stick a little better." Gabby moved to get up, but Dinah stopped her.  
  
"No! Please, just a little longer?" Dinah was actually pleading. Gabby eyed her suspiciously, and sat down on the end of Dinah's bed.  
  
"What's up? Why are you avoiding whatever's bothering you like the plague?" Dinah sighed, grimacing slightly.  
  
"It's just a very painful subject." She said quietly, not looking Gabby in the face.  
  
"What then? Is it Bryan? You can tell me if it is, it's not like I won't understand because he's a guy." Dinah actually laughed at that, taking a pillow into her lap.  
  
"No, Gab, it's not that. It's just kinda fresh in my mind, and I need some time to process it." The blonde nodded, and sat Indian-style at the foot of the bed. "Hey, by the way, how are things with Gina?" Gabby blushed slightly, but smiled nonetheless.  
  
"Great - "  
  
"That's great!" Dinah interrupted, happy that they were no longer talking about her.  
  
"But!" Gabby said ominously, "Straight as ever." Dinah sighed and patted her friend on the back. "She's really great though. She's funny, and nice, and we love the same kind of music . . ." Gabby sighed, and looked at the comforter covering the bed.  
  
"Well, maybe you'll change her mind on a few things. Any girl would be lucky to have you." Gabby smiled, and looked up at Dinah.  
  
"Ha! I wish! People don't just suddenly start liking girls because they met someone different." Dinah blushed deeply, and Gabby noticed it. How could she not? It made Dinah look like a blonde tomato. "Dinah, what's with the pink cheeks?" Gabby asked slowly, almost as though afraid of the answer she might receive. "Is my talking about this making you uncomfortable?"  
  
"No!" Dinah interrupted, "No, not at all. Really, it's just . . . I'm kinda . . . Confused right now. There's this thing - "  
  
"Yeah." Gabby said, almost too eagerly, dying to know what had Dinah acting weird all day. Dinah took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  
  
"Okay, Gabby? There's something I have to tell you . . . promise you won't freak out?" Gabby nodded. "I never liked Bryan." Gabby's face went slack. {That's her big secret?} She thought, {That's what has her all wiggy?}. "In fact . . . I'm kind of already in love with someone." Dinah said the last part so fast it took Gabby a second to figure out what she said.  
  
"Soooooooo?" Gabby said, waiting for the rest of it.  
  
"It's a girl . . ." Dinah said the last part, leaning back slightly. Gabby's eyes bugged out a bit at the last part.  
  
" . . . It's not me is it?" she asked quickly. Now it was Dinah's eyes that resembled dinner plates.  
  
"What?! No! No no no, not at all, no." Dinah said quickly.  
  
"Why not?" Gabby asked playfully. Dinah swatted her with the pillow, and laughed.  
  
"Hello! I told you! In love . . . I think . . . or possible out of love." She said the last part with a frown. "I kinda think she hates me now." Gabby frowned, and moved to sit next to Dinah, wrapping an arm around her friend.  
  
"Aw sweety . . . Why didn't you tell me you were Gay?" Dinah turned to face her quickly.  
  
"That's all you have to say?" Dinah asked, laughing.  
  
"Well, for now, Yeah!" she laughed back, "I was SO scared to tell you, and here you were drooling after a girl your self . . . Gerrrr." She ruffled her hair affectionately, and they both giggled.  
  
"I'm sorry!" she said, swatting the hand away, "I was just as scared as you! Besides . . . I've never liked a girl before her, and she's . . . well . . ." Dinah sighed, and looked out the window again, "She's something special." Gabby smiled and shook her head looking at her friend.  
  
"You must be in Love..." Gabby said, holding in a laugh, "I can't remember the last time I heard that many clichés come out of a girl." Gabby got another swat with the pillow.  
  
"Thanks for the support." Dinah droned.  
  
"What's her name?" Gabby asked, finally getting around to the important stuff. Dinah blushed, and grimaced slightly.  
  
"Helena." She stated hesitantly.  
  
"What's with the face? I like that name, in fact it was my grandmother's."  
  
"Nothing's wrong with it . . . except I think she's never going to talk to me again." Gabby patted her back reassuringly.  
  
"Why? Is she homophobic? Is she one of those Uber-Christians that, like, bombs abortion clinics?" Dinah looked at her friend like she was nuts, but Gabby just shrugged it off.  
  
"No, she's just . . . well . . ." Dinah stopped to think for a second. {What am I supposed to tell her? I can't tell her about the mind-control thing, or the fact that she saved my life by dropping out of the sky and kicking the crap out of some guy who was attacking me . . .} "She's Twenty- Three-years-old." The other blonde's eye bugged out, and her jaw actually dropped.  
  
"Wow . . . you like your women old!" Gabby teased. Dinah gave her a look like 'thanks for the support', and sighed. With a devious glint in her eye, Gabby continued. "So, what's she like?"  
  
"Well, she's a bartender. She has GREAT clothes that she lets me wear . . . if she doesn't catch me wearing them, though she has offered to help me with my wardrobe." Dinah got the far-away look in her eye again, and smiled though she didn't even know it. "She's just so . . . Helena."  
  
"How do you know her?" Gabby asked. That knocked Dinah back to reality. Thinking fast, she told a lie.  
  
"Friend of Barbara's. My first night here, she found me near the bus station. Kinda lead me back here, and ever since then I've been living in the Clock Tower." Gabby nodded, and waited for the other blonde to finish her story. "They've been friends since Helena was young, family connections and all that . . . now we all kinda work together." Dinah accidentally let that last part slip.  
  
"All three of you work at the Bar?" Gabby asked skeptically.  
  
"No, I'm a minor."  
  
"Then what?" Dinah was grasping at straws now.  
  
"Gourmet baking." Gabby looked at her like she grew a third head (as if the second one wasn't weird enough). "You know, like, muffin tops and fudge and stuff. Barbara sells it on the internet and we all cook it. It's like a night job kind of a thing . . ." Gabby looked like she could barely hold in a laugh.  
  
"Okay . . ."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I think Ms. Gordon is a work-aholic. She's a teacher, she's a foster mother, she does work with the city and their law-enforcement, and she even moonlights as a baker . . ." She couldn't hold the laughs in forever, and they came flooding out. Dinah couldn't help but laugh too. It did kinda seem that way. Not to mention the fact that Barbara would hardly ever eat if Alfred didn't show up everyday with food.  
  
"I think you may be right . . . don't know how she finds time to spend with her boy-friend."  
  
"But anyways!" Gabby said quickly, "Back to you and your lover-girl . . ." Gabby waited for Dinah to blush (it didn't take long). "Why do you think she'll never talk to you again? Did you tell her you liked her and she ran for the hills screaming?" Gabby's tone was dry, but had a sad base to it, almost as though perhaps something similar had happened to her.  
  
"I kind of, well . . ." Dinah genuinely paused here. Had she kissed Helena, or was she the one who had been kissed. She remembered that it was Helena's lips that had connected with hers, but had she subconsciously forced her to do it? She didn't think so, but it was possible, right? "We kind of kissed." Gabby actually clapped, and smiled.  
  
"Hey," Gabby said off the look Dinah was giving her, "At least you've gotten a kiss. Be luck for what you've got, ya know?" Dinah half smiled, and nodded.  
  
"Yeah, but at least Gina doesn't hate you now."  
  
"How do you know she hates you now, huh? Where's your proof?" Gabby asked skeptically.  
  
"You know your Ran-for-the-hills Guess?" Gabby nodded, her smile leaving as she guessed what Dinah was getting at, "Well, lets just say; it wasn't that far off. Except instead of hills, it was an Elevator."  
  
"Did you kiss her, or did she kiss you? And don't say it doesn't matter, because if she kissed you and ran off then it's her own insecurities that scared her . . ."  
  
"Well that's just it, I don't really know who kissed who. I think she kissed me, but . . . well . . . I'm just not sure." Dinah sighed and looked out the window again.  
  
"Then what are you worrying about?" Gabby asked, "If she kissed you, then there must have been a reason behind it. She must like you on some degree? You sound like your close, and even if the kiss wasn't initiated but *reciprocated* then at least you know there's interest on some level, right?" Dinah was a little dizzy after that last sentence, but she got the jist of it.  
  
"But Gabby . . ." Dinah said slowly, "This is a huge step for me. I've never liked a Girl before. I'm not really attracted to any others. Does this make me Gay? The fact that I love ONE WOMAN, and that - " Dinah never got to finish her sentence. Gabby had leaned forward and otherwise preoccupied her lips for other uses. They were kissing, and this was not a peck on the cheek kind of kiss. NO, this was a Lets-See-What-Kind-Of- Tooth-Paste-You-Use kiss. Lips, tongues, and even hands became involved. But even so, it didn't last long. Gabby pulled back, leaving a dazed and more than slightly confused Dinah in her wake.  
  
"Feel anything?" she asked her quietly, face still close to hers.  
  
"No." she whispered honestly, not knowing what to do or think. Gabby smiled slightly.  
  
"Me neither." She said, sitting back once again. "Guess we really are destined to be friends." She said, smiling. Dinah blushed, and pushed her hair behind her ears where some had fallen loose. "Helena's a lucky woman, she'll come a round." Dinah nodded sadly. "And if she doesn't I'll kick her ass 'til it's a brand new shape." Dinah bust out laughing at the thought of her friend even trying. The mere imagery of Gabby taking on The Huntress almost made Dinah fall to the floor with mirth.  
  
"Well, here's hoping it doesn't come to that." Dinah said, calming down. Gabby picked up her History Text once again and opened it to the chapter they had been studying.  
  
"Ready for me to quiz you again?" Gabby asked, all business again. Dinah nodded.  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be." She said, sitting against the head-board.  
  
"Who was a better kisser, Me or Helena?" Gabby asked quickly. Her answer was a pillow to the face. "What? I'm quizzing you?! You have to answer it!" she laughed, tossing the pillow back.  
  
They fought a little while longer, and they study for about another hour after that. Once the hours numbered 11 they decided that it was time to go to bed. They changed and got into bed. Dinah insisted that Gabby take her bed, but the girl would have nothing of it. Flat out refusing with a grin, and a threat about telling Ms. Menchels (the Home Ec. Teacher) about her fudge making, Gabby got the floor. As Dinah settled into sleep she had no idea that her night was only *just* beginning . . . . . she still had one more visitor left to see  
  
.  
  
(To Be Continued . . . )  
  
.  
  
([Author's Note: I hope you don't mind, but since there isn't a lot known about the character of Gabby I kind of made her my own (well, not in the leagle sense, she still belongs to The WB). What I mean is, there wasn't a lot to go on, so I made her a bit like myself, and A LOT like my best friend. I know that there's a lot of little useless crap in this chapter, but I though it made Dinah's a Gabby's friendship a little more REAL. Hope you liked it, and look out for the nest chapter: A VISIT TO THE NEST]) 


	4. The Night Visiter Short

= = = (*A Visit To The Nest*) = = =  
  
. . . . . It was 2:30am in New Gothem, and streets were dark and quiet. Up in the Clock Tower, Barbara and Dinah were fast asleep, though their guest was not. All and all it had been a still and calm night. But that was about to change . . .  
  
. . . Suddenly, the doors to the Elevator silently opened, and a slinking figure stepped out. They swiftly stepped past Oracle's desk, looking in past the screens quickly. Walking cautiously past the work-station they pressed their ear to a door off to the side of the room. Hearing nothing, the turned the knob as silently as possible. Looking in at the blonde on the bed (not seeing the one sleeping on the floor on the opposite side of the bed), they crept towards the young figure lying under the sheets . . . . .  
  
{She's been crying . . .} Helena thought, seeing the tear marks running down Dinah's cheeks. A shot of guilt ran through her at the chance that it may have been her fault. There was a small wet mark on the pillow where the tears had collected. Even in her sleep, Dinah's lip was trembling. Gently sitting on the side of the bed, being careful not to wake the girl, she looked down into her face. The face of her Angel.  
  
{I'm sorry . . .} Helena thought, trying to think of what to do. She wanted to just scoop the girl up into her arms and hold her. To tell her how sorry she was for yelling at her, to cry and not be afraid of what the blonde might think. She wanted to tell Dinah how happy she was just for her being around, how sorry she was that she couldn't save her mother just like she had let her own slip through her fingers. She wanted her to really *know* that she wasn't alone. And most of all, to thank the blonde for saving her without even trying.  
  
{Dinah's a strong girl . . . So much stronger than me.} Helena sighed, and straitened the sheets unnecessarily. {At least she could admit to me that she *wanted* the kiss. Ugh!} Helena groaned to herself, {I can't believe that I blamed her for that . . .} Helena looked at the girl as she shook slightly with her dreamt tears. Reaching out a nervous hand, she ran her fingers through the delicate stands of pale gold that haloed the young girl's head.  
  
Just as she was about to reach out to take the girls hand to comfort her, she stopped and thought better of it. Dinah often Mind-Warped accidentally during time of Heightened Emotional Stress . . . and from the looks of it, the blonde was feeling very emotional. Looking at the small clock on Dinah's nightstand, she realized that she should probably get back to her apartment. But she just couldn't get herself to leave. She sat there watching the young hero for a few more minutes, and with gentle fingers reached to brushed a few stray hairs behind her ears.  
  
Suddenly, without warning, she felt like a jolt of energy bolt up from where her fingertips had made contact with the girl's ear. It shot up from her fingers, through her arm, all the way to her spinal column, and directly into her brain. Then, as though being pulled by an invisible rope wrapped around her wrist, she felt her self pulled forward into an indescribable abyss. With a whirling, spinning, twisting feeling, she watched the world change and once again felt her feet connect with solid ground . . . but she wasn't in the clock-tower anymore . . . . . .  
  
.  
  
.  
  
= = = (*A Dream Come True*) = = =  
  
(To Be Continued)  
  
(Author's Note: Like it? Then review it! I got some rude notes last time, and if I'm going to keep going with this Fic, then I'd like to know that it's for a good reason. Please Note: IT WILL STILL BE HELENA/DINAH, that won't change.)  
  
E-Mail VixenRaign@yahoo.com 


	5. A Dream Come True 2

= = = (*A Dream Come True*) = = =  
  
After her sudden and abrupt re-introduction with solid ground, Helena got up slowly and looked at her surroundings. She seemed to be in a massive cylinder shaped room. There was no recognizable ceiling and the walls seemed to be simply made up of the notion that that the room had to stop at some point. All the features where a dark, misted gray, and they were completely bare. After a few moments, she realized that it was a projected mental image of the Training room. {This is weird . . .} Helena thought, {What am I doing here?}. After looking around a bit more, she saw that she was not alone. There on the floor, sitting on her knees and turned away, was Dinah. She looked almost meditative. Her head was slightly bowed, blonde mane covering here eyes, and hands resting motionless on her knees  
  
"Dinah?" there was no response. "Dinah? Where are we? Are you okay?" She watched as Dinah slowly got up, and changed. She shrank down, devolved into a child. The figure stood with her back turned to Huntress, her small play-dress swaying in a wind that didn't exist. There was still no response, no reaction to Helena at all. "Dinah, what happened?" she asked softly, though the edge was still there, Helena was panicking slightly.  
  
The girl slowly turned to face her, and what she saw made her want to jump back. Dinah's face was so . . . blank. There was no emotion. Her cheeks were wet with tears, and they ran uninhibitedly down her face . . . but there were no eyes. She looked rather like a manikin. As Helena looked onward, she understood. {She cried her eyes out}. Helena was just wondering if she'd ever see the girl's cute blue eyes again when it spoke.  
  
"You're here to remind me." It said, the voice a misting echo. It sounded like a mix of Dinah and a tired child. He mask was still emotionless, her face's soft curves making it seem like it would have been unnatural for her to have eyes in the first place. Helena stepped closer, and the little child stepped back. Helena's heart ached slightly at seeing the girl was afraid of her.  
  
"Remind you of what?" she asked slowly, fearing the answer. The girl stood there for a few moments, silent as before, seeming looking at her with eyes she no longer had.  
  
"That to want means never to have." Now Helena was confused. She never really paid attention to her Philosophy teacher, so all this was lost on her. The little Dinah seemed to understand, because the tiniest of smiles played at the edge of her lips. "All the things I have ever wanted, I have never had."  
  
"But what about being a Super-Hero?" Helena asked quickly. The small smiled faded.  
  
"No." that was all she said. She didn't explain, she didn't elaborate, though Huntress waited for the other shoe to drop. It never came.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Do you really have to ask?" she asked, pain lacing the edge of her voice. "You and Barbara have never really let me out on my own. You've not let me take on my own guys, to save people that may need help that I could provide by myself . . ." Helena wasn't sure she liked this Dinah, she was a little too philosophical for the brunette to fallow.  
  
"But Dinah, you need someone to watch your back. I'm just trying to protect you - "  
  
"I'm Not A Fucking Child!" she screamed, and for that single second, she became Dinah again; blue eyes aflame with the fight and the strong will that Helena had come to respect. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she changed back.  
  
"I'm not a child . . ." it whispered, almost to its self. The little girl plucked at her play dress, and mumbled"Besides, these clothes don't fit anymore . . ." Helena was still reeling from being yelled at like that. {But what's freakiest about it,} Helena thought, {Was that it didn't piss me off . . . }. And it hadn't. It hurt her like a slap to the face, because she knew. It was true . . . she had hurt the girl, she had hurt Dinah.  
  
"Dinah, I'm . . ." Helena wanted to say she was sorry, but the girl was turned away again, looking off into a distance that Huntress couldn't seem to comprehend.  
  
"Why do the best of things, never seem to last?" she asked, sounding rhetorical. Just then, across the room, a chair appeared. It was large and comfortable, and sitting astride it was a younger Carolyn Lance. She was smiling and laughing, and waving to Little Dinah. The child laughed and ran to her, and as she tried to jump into her mother's lap, the picture faded, and the blonde landed butt first on the ground. Getting up slowly, she whipped the tears away, and dusted off her dress. "She never stays for long."  
  
"I'm sorry Dinah . . . I know how much you miss her."  
  
"How can a sapling grow in the shade of the Mightiest Oaks?" {What?} Helena wondered, {What is it with her and all this Confusions Thinking?}.  
  
"Dinah what are you trying to tell me?" she asked, flat out, not liking what the tone in the room had become. There was no reply to her question, and that scared her even more. Just as Helena was going to panic, she heard it.  
  
"I don't belong here." And then came the panic.  
  
"What do you mean you don't belong here? Of course you do, where else should you be?"  
  
"You don't want me here." She said even more quietly. Helena cringed, realizing that she must have put out the wrong message, or that possible the message had never changed with her feelings. Just then, across the room, a figure appeared. Not so much as a body, but more of the idea that they were no longer alone.  
  
The familiar slaps against the punching bag testifies to that. Looking over, Helena saw no one other than herself. {But that's not me,} Helena said, looking her double over, {I'm not eight-feet-tall and I don't slash the punching bag open with my nails and teeth . . .}. It was true, and now the 'Dream-Punching-Bag' was in tatters on the floor of this 'Dream- Training-Room'.  
  
"Who's that?" Helena asked, unable to keep the words from coming out. The child looked at her like she was confused.  
  
"Why, that's Huntress," she said looked from her to the giant savage and back again, "Can't you tell?" Just then, Huntress charged Little Dinah, and got right in her face.  
  
"You stay out of my way!" she screamed, "We don't have an opening for a Junior Super Girl!" Helena watched as the clothes of her double change to that of the night when she had first met the blonde. She then crouched down so she was face to face with the girl, and practically Growled in her face.  
  
"I'll *never* trust you, you could never earn it! And if I ever do it'll just get me killed!" That was all Helena could take, she stepped up to Huntress.  
  
"You leave her alone . . ." she growled at the dark figure. Just then Huntress stood, now even taller than before, her face set in an animalistic smirk. Helena knew that smirk; it used to be her favorite accessory. She looked Helena up and down; the smaller brunette now felt self- conscience in her sweat-pants and tank-top, but she stood tall, trying to hide her fear. It didn't work, Huntress could always smell fear.  
  
"What, you're gonna stop me?" she asked, a humorous tone in her voice.  
  
"You can't stop her." Little Dinah said quietly.  
  
"Why not?" Helena asked, confused as to what was going on.  
  
"Because, she's become dominant." Now Helena was really lost.  
  
"Huh?!" Little Dinah looked at her, and sighed slightly.  
  
"It's simple Psychology." She stood between the two brunettes, and turned towards Helena. "You're half Meta, right?" Helena nodded. "Barbara told me that no-one knew you were Meta until after your mother died, is that correct?"  
  
"Yeah, what does that have to do with - "  
  
"Everything." The tiny Blonde stated. "It's Post-traumatic-Stress Dissociative-Personality-Disorder." If the crazy trip into Dinah's mind had made her dizzy, that sentence made her nauseous.  
  
"WHAT?!" Little Dinah giggled, and looked from Huntress who was snarling, and back to Helena.  
  
"You know what Post-Traumatic-Stress is, right?" Helena nodded, "And you know what multiple-Personality-Disorder is, right?" Helena nodded. "Disassociative-Personality-Disorder is the same thing, and is often brought on by Traumatic-Stress. When you're mother died, you created this 'Other Self' to take the pain that Helena couldn't bare. She was Meta, and she was ruthless, and she was everything you loved about your mother. She became the ideal that your mind had made for who your mother was and what you need in order to survive." Helena blinked a few times, {Hello Freud!} she thought suddenly.  
  
"At first you created her to deal with the pain of your mother's death, and then the strength she had provided you with a way to express you rage that became a tool. Barbara started to train you to become a crime fighter, to use this power that the 'Other Self' had and you wanted. But as time when on, and you used Huntress as an escape for the pain of your mother's death, you never really grieved for her, so the pain got worse, and soon Huntress became the dominant figure in your body." Helena was fallowing along as best she could, and what she understood was (scarily) making sense. {When did Dinah become a Psychology Prodigy?} She asked herself.  
  
"The only time I've ever . . ." Dinah trailed off, and looked away from the both of them, slowly, she became Dinah again, the way Helena was used to seeing her (eyes and all). "The only time you ever seem to be in Birth Mode is when you've talked to me." She said in a quiet whisper.  
  
"Birth mode?" Helena asked slowly, not wanting to scare her back into a child.  
  
"The Birth is the personality that occupied the body before the Traumatic Event. The TRUE SELF. The Real Helena, so to speak." Dinah sighed, and leaned against the air itself. "You've been Helena with me, when we talk about our moms, or when you took care of my hands . . ." Helena stopped and thought about it, and realized it was true. She realized why those feelings had been so alien to her, why she didn't recognize them; she had never felt them before.  
  
"You know that Grief is part of life. I know you know that, and although I'm rather attached to Huntress as well . . ." Dinah quieted again, "I'd like to get to know Helena better." She turned to look at Helena for the first time, and for the first time all night, their eyes met, and Helena seemed to understand. {I could love her.}  
  
"Dinah?" Helen asked slowly, "How do I get better?" now Helena sounded like a child, but she didn't care. Dinah gave a sad smile, and walked past her next to Huntress.  
  
"You have to take her on." Dinah said, and Helena's eye nearly fell out of her head. "She's the Meta-human with Super-strength and a heart of steel. She was created to withstand pain and to block out things that get in her way." Helena took a step back.  
  
"You've got to be kidding!" Helena said almost to herself. Dinah almost giggled.  
  
"That's the point, Helena. Grief has become larger than life because you made it out to be that way. It will knock you down, and it'll make you cry, and it will take time to overcome it, but in the end . . . it's what you have to do. It's the only way to regain your humanity, to become the whole person that you were meant to be." Dinah walked over to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder, and suddenly there was a calm the spread through her like she'd not felt for years.  
  
"If I beat her . . ." Helena asked slowly, glancing at the growling, towering figure across from them, "Will I still be Meta?" Dinah laughed and nodded. "Okay . . ." Helena took a deep breath and was getting ready to charge when she felt Dinah's hand grasp her shoulder quickly. Looking back at the blonde, Helena saw her smiling slightly.  
  
"You don't have to do it now, Hel." She took her hand back, "When you're ready, and once you've had time to process all this. And besides, you don't want to kill Huntress, she's been a huge part of your life, and she's a big part of *you*. You just have to beat her, and then figure out a way to re-incorporate the two halves of Helena and Huntress to create the healthy woman you want to be. This isn't an over-night thing, and I think it may be best if you save the start of this journey for another night." Helena nodded, and stood down.  
  
"It's time for you to go." Dinah said, sounding cryptic again. Helena looked at the still snarling Huntress who now had here eyes fixed on Dinah.  
  
"Are you sure you'll be okay without me?" Dinah nodded, and glanced at Huntress, her smile dimming only slightly.  
  
Just then a girl seemed to rum out of a door-way in the air it's self. She ran straight to Dinah, grabbed her by the shoulders, and kissed her lips passionately. Just as Helena was about to tear this blonde, ringletted girl away from her own, they broke apart. "Anything?" the girl asked. Dinah shook her head whispering, still nothing, and then the girl faded away like steam. Dinah acted like it was nothing and turned back to the Snarling Huntress (all the while Helena was trying to figure out what just happened).  
  
"I'll be fine. You care for me as a friend, she cares for me as a partner, I think I'm pretty safe. Besides, she's just trying to make me tough like her. It's just in her nature. She was created from anger and grief, so she's teaching that to me." Dinah smiled at the giant brunette, and it growled at her. "She is *SO* going down . . ." she said, smugly, giving Helena a reassuring wink. The smaller brunette nodded, and suddenly Dinah took her hand and kissed it. The blonde raised it to her cheek, and just as suddenly there was the spinning whirling pull at her wrist, and Helena was back sitting on the blonde's bed.  
  
There were still tear marks on the pillow, but her cheeks were dry, and her lips heald a slight smile to them. Helena quickly shook her head from the slight dizziness of the trip and her confusion. Leaning down, Helena gave Dinah's forehead a quick kiss, and silently got off the blonde's bed. As she opened the door, she looked back for one last second. Turning and Leaving the room slowly, she didn't notice the small blonde head poke it's self up from the other side of the bed, just missing who this night visitor had been. {Helena?}  
  
.  
  
.  
  
(Author's Note: This is the second half of Chapter Four, and I know that it's very technical, and sorta confusing, but I think it's fairly well- explained. If there is any confusion, just let me know and I'll fix it as best as I can. Also, I hope you don't mind that it's a little crazy and also in a a VERY ROUGH-DRAFT-FORM. ~VixenRaign~ ) 


	6. Another Time Of Day

= = = (*Breakfast With The Birds*) = = =  
  
The next morning Gabby was woken up by the gentile shaking of her shoulder. Dinah was trying to get her to open her eyes. {But I only just fell asleep!} She protested in her own mind, {What time is it?} she wondered, looking out the pale window.  
  
"Come on Gabby, we need to get going." Dinah said gently, sighing and sitting down on the end of the futon they had set up for their guest. "Barbara needs to get to school early for the Friday-Morning Teacher- Meeting, and we need to go with her or else its a 30 minute walk." Gabby just kind of murgled and rolled over. Dinah laughed, and forcibly opened one of Gabby's eyes. "You're really not a morning person, are you?" she asked laughing, causing the sleepy blonde to chuckle, and swat her hands away.  
  
"Why are you trying to kill me?" she asked croakily, flinging an arm over her eyes.  
  
"I'm not, I'm trying to get you in the shower." She said calmly. One of Gabby's eyes poked out from under her arm, a playful smirk in place. Dinah just smacked her softly, and glowered. "I just took mine, and there's plenty of wonderfully hot water waiting for you . . . ?" She said, trying to sound enticing. Gabby sighed, and yawned. Getting up, she headed for the connecting bathroom. "I'm going to change, and then I'll go make us some breakfast, okay? The Kitchen's just a little ways up the ramp, okay?" all she got in reply was a gurgle and a nod.  
  
Dinah laughed, and turned towards her dresser. Opening the drawer she searched for something school-worthy. Settling on a black and maroon Custo top with gills along the arm, and a pair of dark but sand-blasted jeans, she strapped on her shoes. After gathering up her books and binders, she put them in her bag and tossed them over her shoulder. She had completely forgotten about Helena and their kiss . . . up until she opened the door to the rest of the clock-tower.  
  
"Helena?!" Dinah said, slightly shocked. She'd *Never* seen the brunette before 11am, and here it was . . . barely 7; it was obvious that she was surprised. She was sitting on the couch with Barbara, who looked a little stressed and tired. Helena tossed a small smile her way, and Barbara rubbed her eyes. It was then that Dinah noticed that Helena's clothes weren't up to their normal standards; she was wearing a pair of light-gray sweat-pants and a blue tank-top with a back zip-hoody. Helena seemed to notice her eyes taking in her appearance, and blushed slightly.  
  
"Uh, Laundry . . ." she said, plucking at the cuff of her jacket. Dinah just nodded and rushed past the two older women, making her way up the ramp. She really didn't want to have to deal with Helena and all the crap right now. She'd just spent half the night studying for an exam, something that she had to stay focused on. As she reached the kitchen, she fired up the stove and tossed on the frying pan. Making some eggs and toast for breakfast seemed okay, seeing as she didn't know what Gabby would have liked in an omelet.  
  
Leaning over the rails as the eggs started cooking, she heard the two women talking to each other. They seemed to be very involved in whatever they were discussing. As Helena got up and headed in the general direction of the elevator Gabby popped out of Dinah's room. She said good morning to Barbara, and headed up the ramp. Dinah turned back to their breakfast and kept cooking. Gabby slumped down on her chair, laying her head on the table. Both started laughing at the same time, and the ringlet-blonde sat up.  
  
"I take it you didn't sleep well?" Dinah asked delicately. Gabby got up and looked at the pan. Eggs, scrambled. Nothing fancy. Gabby had a better idea.  
  
"No, the sleep I got was good, it just took me a while to actually *fall* asleep . . ." She trailed off, looking at Dinah lightly. "Would you mind if I took over?" she asked, almost excitedly. Dinah just nodded, and handed Gabby the spatula. She quickly turned off the burner, and headed to the fridge. Opening it, she continued talking as she pulled out a couple things, placing them on the table.  
  
"I had the *BEST* dream! Weird, but also very cool. I dreamed that I was named the International Spelling Champion, and that I was told that since I could spell so well, I would never have to go to college. I could just be an editor at TIME magazine and never have to do anything even related to school ever again. And then, I was working there, and this woman was dressed like some thing out of a T.A.T.U. video - " she went on and on about her dream, and Dinah just listened, and watched.  
  
Gabby took out a green onion and chopped it up, a long with an orange pepper. They got tossed in with the eggs, which were seasoned with a bit of black-pepper and some chilly-pepper. Dinah had set the table as she talked and cooked. She poured them both some English Breakfast Tea, and took out some sugar and milk. As she put the now very colorful scrambled eggs on two plates, she told of the end of the dream, almost in a fit of giggles.  
  
" - And then Mr. Jenison, the PE Teacher, showed up dressed as a nun, and started screaming about how he could fly! Ha Ha! Then the next thing I know you're shaking me awake." She dug into her eggs, and dipped her toast into her tea. Dinah just looked on, surprised at Gabby's sudden energy and unexpected culinary skill. She started eating too, surprised at how good the eggs were, and noticed the fact that Gabby was looking at her. Swallowing her food, and taking a sip of her tea, she looked at Gabby expectantly. "Well, what about you? Have any dreams last night?" Gabby took another bite of Tea and Toast, and waited. Dinah thought for a second before responding.  
  
"I'm not sure . . ." she replied, scrunching here nose. "I have a feeling I did, but I'm not sure what it was about." Sighing she finished her tea, and looked down at the table, trying to force the memories back into her mind. "I remember talking to someone. I don't know who, but it seemed kinda serious, so I think it may have been Barbara . . . but then there was, well," she looked up at her friend and blinked a few times, "I think it was an animal of some kind, 'cause I remember growling, and then the feeling that I was flying . . ." she shook her head, trying to remember what else had happened. Just then, Helena appeared at the entrance of the kitchen.  
  
"Barbara's a little behind this morning, so you guys have another 15 minutes or so." She said looking to Dinah, and then glancing at Gabby. Her expression changed, and if the blondes had to describe it as something they'd call it defensive anticipation. When neither of the younger girls said anything, she looked to Dinah. "Who's this, and where did she come from?" she asked slowly. Dinah blushed, and introduced the two.  
  
"Uh, Gabby this is Helena. Helena, this is my friend Gabby . . . she slept over last night to help me study." She answered quietly. Helena reached out a hand, and gabby took it, almost smirking at the brunette. That was when the Huntress realized who this was. It was the Kissing Girl from Dinah's dream. Squeezing a little harder then necessary, she smiled back. Gabby didn't even react to the pressure; no face, no wince, not even her smirk faded.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Gabby." Helena said smiling genuinely now. She liked this girl . . . you know, except for the fact that Dinah had dreams about kissing her. Looking at their coffee mugs, she looked to the stove. "Any hot-water left?" They nodded, and Helena started making her tea.  
  
"Dinah was just telling me about a dream she had last night." Gabby said, as a way to both invite Helena into the conversation and to get Dinah to try and continue. Gabby noticed Helena slip with the kettle and pour hot water on her hands (though she didn't even react as the hot liquid ran over her skin). Shaking it off, Helena looked back to Dinah.  
  
"Really?" Helena asked, voice slightly higher than before, "What did you dream about?" she dreaded the idea of Dinah sharing too much with Gabby. {It was *OUR* dream,} Helena thought angrily, her territorial instincts taking over, {She can't share it with this girl . . . she gave it to me, she helped me . . . It's just hers and mine.}  
  
"She can't remember, that's the problem." Gabby said slowly, "She remembers that there was a growling animal in it, that she was flying, and that she had a serious talk with who she thinks was Professor Gordon." At that Dinah noticed Helena looking at her intently.  
  
"Is that true?" she asked slowly, voice quiet, "Do you really not remember?" Dinah shook her head, and wondered what was bothering Helena about this dream. The brunette just smiled, though Dinah knew it was a fake one, and waved it off. "Well, I had a pretty good dream last night." She said, hopping up on the counter. "I'll tell you about it later this afternoon during - "  
  
"Fudge making!" Dinah said quickly. Helena looked at her like she was crazy for a second, then remembered the Gourmet Baking excuse. Nodding slowly, she smiled.  
  
"Right, when we make fudge." She looked down into her mug for a second, then back at Dinah. "and then maybe you and I could talk . . . before we - " Helena paused, trying to think of a term to use. "before we do a *sweep* of the inventory." She said pointedly. Dinah looked down at the ground, and nodded.  
  
"Right, inventory tonight." She nodded and looked up at the brunette. Helena just smiled back, and laughed slightly.  
  
"Don't worry Birdie, it's nothing bad." Just then they heard Barbara calling them from downstairs. Grabbing their bags and placing their plates in the sink, both girls hurried down the ramp. As the teens piled into the elevator, Barbara wheeled in behind them. Looking up at the brunette, Oracle gave her the thumbs up. Nodding, Helena went back to her tea, and then maybe a nap.  
  
"Man," Helena said to no one in particular, "How do I know this day is only going to get longer?" Flopping down onto the couch, she flung the toss- blanket over her self, content to sleep off any worries she had about this afternoon.  
  
.  
  
= = = (*People Are Strange, When You're A Stranger*) = = =  
  
Dinah crept dejectedly back into the clock-tower. As she tried to quickly walk past the Delphi monitors, Barbara was pulled out of her concentration. Keeping her eyes on the screens and adding an artificial tone of offhandedness to her voice, she called to the blonde (Who was only feet from her door).  
  
"You missed training." She said, eyes still on the monitors. Dinah stopped, lowered her head slightly, and turned towards Oracle.  
  
"I was hanging out with Gabby." She answered by way of an explanation. Barbara nodded and smiled sadly.  
  
"I know, we tracked you ComSet." The red-head rolled back from the desk slightly so she could look the girl in the face. "Helena was waiting for you to come home from school . . . she really wanted to talk to you. I practically had to hold her back when she found out you'd missed training to go to the movies." With that she gave the girl a short glare, but there was a smile hidden in her eyes.  
  
"I thought Helena had therapy on Friday Afternoons?" Dinah said, not looking at her mentor. Barbara took off her glasses, and looked down at her hands.  
  
"We both agreed that she'd had enough Psychosis for today . . ." She looked at her charge and saw that she was trying to subtle try and Find Helena, as though expecting her to be listening in the shadows. "She just got off work about a half hour ago. She's patrolling now, expecting you to back her up when you got back."  
  
"Not tonight." She said sadly, slowly walking up the ramp to the Delphi System, "The two of us fighting side-by-side before we've had a chance to talk out what's happened just doesn't feel . . . Safe." The Blonde looked at the large hanging screen and watched as the little red dot marked 'H' moved from street to street. Rubbing her eyes lightly, Dinah sighed.  
  
"Tired?" Barbara asked her gently. Dinah nodded and sat down in the extra desk chair.  
  
"Yeah. I had a really weird dream, but I can't remember what it was about." Barbara was looking at her fixedly and Dinah could feel the redhead's stair boring into the back of her neck.  
  
"You *really* don't remember *anything* about it . . . ?" she asked pointedly. Dinah looked at her as though worried about the older woman's sanity, and shook her head slowly. "You're not just saying that because you feel the topic may be of a . . . private nature?"  
  
"Noooooo . . ." Dinah said slowly, as though explaining that 1 + 1 = 2. Barbara sighed and watched as the little 'H' stopped at the corner of Cole and Steiner. Dinah shook her head, confused, and looked at Oracle through the corner of her eye. "You're the second one to ask me that today . . . what is it with you people and dreams? Not all of mine can predict the future."  
  
"I think you and Helena are going to have to have that talk . . . and then I think the three of us will need to have a talk." Just then the monitor started beeping, and the BIRDS Symbol started blinking at the corner of fifth and Drake.  
  
"Rhys triggered the Bat-Ring!" Dinah called over the beeping, wheeling over to the computers and shutting down the alert system.  
  
"I'm on it." Helena's voice said through the speakers. Dinah looked quickly to Barbara, shock obvious on her face. She just shrugged and opened a new file for whatever case the Hero and the Cop were about to start.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me her ComSet was on?!" She whispered Angrily.  
  
"Hey Kid." Helena called through the speakers, "You're home late." She didn't sound upset, but she didn't sound happy either. Dinah wished she could see the brunette's face, then maybe she'd know how scared she should be about the next time she had to see her. "I thought we were going to 'Make Fudge', and 'Take Inventory' . . ." {Jokes!} Dinah thought quickly, {Jokes are a good sign . . . Right?}.  
  
"Uh, Yeah," The blonde thought lamely, "That test was a killer, so Gabby and I wanted to blow off some steam."  
  
"And here I thought you *liked* using the punching bag for that." Jealousy. That was definitely Jealousy, which shocked Dinah slightly.  
  
"Oh, Yeah, and that went *SO* well yesterday, didn't it?" she asked rhetorically, voice bitter. She could practically feel Helena flinch, and she didn't care. The brunette put her though hell these past two days.  
  
"Okay, good point." Helena sighed and could be heard landing on the pavement with a near silent swish of her cloak. There was a sharper intake of breath, and Rhys could be heard chuckling slightly.  
  
"Evening, Detective." Helena said slowly, voice low as usual. Dinah both loved and hated to overhear these little sessions. They were funny to listen to, but at the same time, it Dinah could not believe Helena liked this . . . 'Guy' more than her. Though the blonde did enjoy hearing The Huntress' tone of voice when she was flirting, even if it wasn't with her.  
  
"Huntress." He said simply.  
  
"You called, Detective?" she said coolly, as though she was bored.  
  
"Yeah, uh," He said slowly, Voice slightly tight, "I was wondering if you were doing alright." The constant delicacy in the words that he picked becoming noticeable. "That woman you work with, Oracle I think, she called me to tell me you'd be staying in . . ."  
  
"Took a personal evening, Detective." She almost snapped, her usual tone gone. It was replaced with a shortness that most would consider a fair warning of danger. "I'm still a normal person during the day, you know."  
  
"You're only Meta at night?" Rhys asked, confused.  
  
"No," Huntress growled, "I'm only a crime-fighter at night. During the day I have a job, a life, a family . . . my whole world doesn't revolve around New Gotham Scum."  
  
"Alright, alright," Rhys said quickly, trying to stop this argument before it got out of hand. "I Got it, I just wanted to see if you were alright. . . I was worried."  
  
"I'm Fine." Her shortness deflated, but not gone, "Besides, if there was anything wrong, I have people to take care of me." Dinah smiled, and little did she know that Helena said it with the specific intention of her hearing it.  
  
Okay, I got it. Private life stays private, no problem." Both girls in the clocktower could practically see the poor cop raising his hands and backing away slightly in fear. He sighed and continued. "How's the kid?"  
  
"She's not a kid!" she said quickly, then calmed, "She's fine. Well, she's not really, these scars never go away, but she *will* get better." Rhys must have nodde3d, because there was a quiet moment.  
  
"How's your arm?" he asked quickly. Helena just chuckled.  
  
"Good as new, Better actually . . . it certainly made me smarter, that's for sure."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Let's put it this way," Huntress answered slowly, "Strength of muscle is no match for strength of mind." Rhys laughed lightly, but it was obviously just to cover the fact that he was confused and trying to down-play it.  
  
"Well, if you're alright, and that Blonde is too . . ." Rhys trailed off, and a slight growl from Helena's throat could be heard ringing in her ComSet.  
  
"Her Name," she said sharply, "Is Dinah." And with that there was the standard whipping fabric sound as the brunette took flight into the night again. The soft swish of her coat mingled with the splashing of puddles on the roofs.  
  
"Oracle?" she called a few moments later, "Give me an ass to kick." Both clocktower girls laughed and started typing, trying to fulfill the woman's request.  
  
"Okay. There's been a number of muggings down in the greens district. Between Charles and Cannon streets." Dinah said as her search finished running. "Might be worth checking out." She added happily. Helena practically purred and laughed.  
  
"Sure you don't want to join me, Kid?" she asked quickly.  
  
"No thanks, maybe another night."  
  
"Alright. Huntress Out." Her ComSet beeped and Dinah sighed, sitting back in her chair. Barbara laughed slightly, grabbing the blonde's attention. "What?" she asked slowly.  
  
"Was that *really* so bad?" the redhead asked quickly. Dinah shook her head, a look of confusion on her face.  
  
"I don't get it!" she almost yelled. "Yesterday she yelled at me and blamed me for something she probably did, and then runs off - and then the next morning she comes in all smiles and jokes and it's like nothing happened?!" she screamed angrily, unaware that Huntress had turned her ComSet back on to get the names of the streets again. "I don't want her angry at me, but I think I have the right to be upset! She wouldn't even listen to me . . . !" she was obviously very frustrated with what was going on. Dinah got up slowly and sighed tiredly.  
  
"I'm going to bed," she said, voice scratchy from exhaustion, "I'll see you tomorrow." And she started walking towards her room.  
  
"Dinah!" Barbara called quickly. The blonde turned and looked at her mentor. "You, Helena, and I are going to have a nice long talk tomorrow morning . . . all of us." Dinah nodded and headed back to her room.  
  
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(Author'sNote: WELL! There you have it! The VERY FIRST thing I've written since I got back to the US! God, how I love these lovely American Key-Boards! Such a blessing - the German ones are downright scary! I hope y'all like what I've done with this story and let me tell you: I t may be a bit for the next chapter as I have to do a bit of research before I can get it on paper. NOT TOO LONG THOUGH! Nowhere near as long as this took.)  
  
~ VixenRaign ~ 


	7. Reading Between The Lines

= = = (* Reading Between The Lines *) = = =  
  
Dinah was woken gently by the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. Lifting her tired head off of her pillow she slowly opened her eyes and blinked at the bright light pouring into the room from the now open door. There, standing beside the bed, was Alfred, smiling in that warm manor that never seemed to fade. Sitting up a little more fully, she ran a hand through her sleep-tousled hair. Chuckling affectionately at the sight of the girl, he handed her a fresh towel.  
  
"Good morning Miss." Her said with a gentle tone, "Breakfast is being made as we speak, and I dare say I think you'll like it." He smiled, "Ms. Barbara asked me to wake you so that you might, uh . . . freshen up a bit before Ms. Helena arrives and you have you're meeting?" he asked gently. Dinah nodded, and slowly got out of bed.  
  
"Thank you Alfred." She replied, voice slightly raspy due to sleep. He simply smiled and walked from the room, closing the door behind him. After a shower and change into something slightly more 'I'm-About-To-Yell- ish', she walked into the Main room. It was empty. Making her way up the ramp she saw that everyone was gathered around the kitchen table; plates in front of them, and mugs in their hands. Sitting down silently, Dinah could feel the tense attitude filling the room.  
  
"Before we start," Barbara said gently, awkwardly beginning what was bound to be a very difficult conversation, "I think Helena has something to say to you Dinah." The redhead turned to look at the older girl expectantly, and Helena smiled back weakly. As the brunette looked at Dinah she realized the girl looked mad . . . looked it, but was really just nervous.  
  
"Look, Dinah, I just wanted to explain some things." She said slowly, her voice quiet, not wanting to upset the youngest girl, "But more than that, I would like to tell you that I'm sorry." The blonde's eyes almost fell out of their sockets, she'd expected more yelling, and all of a sudden those thoughts just fell away. Something about the soft sincerity in the crime-fighter's voice made her heart soften, and listen to what the woman had to say.  
  
"I'm sorry I yelled at you, and there's no excuse for what I did, it was wrong . . . and I know that. I came over yesterday to apologize, and, well . . . you were out with Gabby." She said the last word with a touch of bitterness, but Dinah played it off to nothing. "That's wasn't all though." She said quickly, glancing from Dinah to Barbara and back again, "There's something else." The room fell silent, and Barbara gently put down her coffee.  
  
"Dinah, do you remember any dreams you've had lately?" she asked slowly. Dinah shook her head. "None at all? Not a single one?" again, she shook her head. Sighing, Barbara looked to Helena, and the brunette cleared her throat.  
  
"Dinah, I need you to take my hand." She said gently. Dinah hesitantly reached out and took the brunette's gentle offer, looking between the two women. Helena closed her eyes, almost pinched shut . . . and nothing happened. Chuckling slightly, Helena opened her eyes again. "No, Dinah, I mean o need you to read me." Dinah quickly pulled her hand back, pushing her chair away from the table hesitantly.  
  
"What?" Dinah asked quickly, suddenly very weary of this whole interaction, "Helena, I don't think I can do that." She said quietly. Helena frowned, and looked down at her lap.  
  
"Dinah," Barbara said gently, "Something happened that Helena can't really tell you in words. She was hoping that maybe you could reach into her mind and, um . . . . extract it for her." Dinah looked between the girls, eyes lingering on the brunette.  
  
"Helena, I don't think I can do this . . ." she whispered to her, "I'm not very good at reaching in to people's mind and finding things myself. Mostly their minds are just reaching out and I get a shot of it when I touch them." Her voice dropped even more, "Helena . . . I could see things that you don't want me to see. It would be a total mental invasion of your privacy. I could see and learn things about you that even *you* don't know. It wouldn't be right . . ." she trailed off lightly. Helena smiled, glad that she could trust Dinah to read her private thought on purpose. {Seems she learned her own lesson with that guy from school} Helena thought happily.  
  
"I trust you." At that, Dinah's head shot up to look at her. The look in the deep blue eyes was intense, but honest. She hesitantly reached forward, their fingertips brushing, the electricity between their skin zinging as Dinah tried to keep her emotions in check, and not get flashes of things that she shouldn't have seen.  
  
"Try to think about whatever you want me to see, it'll make things easier for me, and also make it less likely that I'll get a glimpse of something you don't want me to." Helena nodded, her breath coming in quick little gasps; she was nervous too. Concentrating on the day before, she waited for the shock to travel up her arm. But it never came. Just as she opened an eye to see what was going on, she saw the look of focus on her friend's face. Suddenly, without warning, the world fell away, and she felt warm and almost floating.  
  
Dinah, on the other hand, felt nothing like that at all. Seeing the world through Helena's eyes was a rough gig, a fact she was sorry to learn. All the things came to her in flashes, they seemed to be mostly in order, but some things were clearly not meant for her to see, and some things were even revisited. It was obvious that Helena's attempt to *not* think about certain things was the very reason that Dinah got visions of them along with the rest.  
  
They started with the Kiss. Dinah felt everything. She felt the way it calmed Helena yet completely pulled her away from herself. It was an escape such as the brunette had never known. But the panic the it left when they broke away was one that felt almost choking, like air had been sucked out of the room. Dinah saw Helena running out of the building to her Bike and rip it all the way home, speeding and almost hitting a fire hydrant; the tears in her eyes effecting her vision.  
  
But that wasn't all. She saw the Huntress unable to sleep the whole night, tossing and turning for hours, and finally sitting up in bed with a ere of defeat. With out even changing, she saw Helena jump from the window and roof-hop all the way to the Clock-tower. Letting herself in, and sneaking into her very own room. It was odd looking at herself sleep and having it invoke the feelings it did. Compassion, remorse, and more than that a feeling Dinah couldn't put a name to. {Could it have been love?} She thought to herself, then quickly pushed the idea away, {No, Helena couldn't love me! Besides, it was too painful to be Love . . .}.  
  
She watched in shock as Helena sat with her, touching her gently, and feeling the tears behind the brunette's eyes. Without warning she was sucked into their shared dream and forced to bare witness to the strange interaction. This had to be the strangest experience she'd ever had; watching a dream that happened inside her head, through the eyes of another because she didn't remember it . . . it couldn't possibly get any stranger than that. She watched as her mother faded, Helena and she argued, and Huntress showed up. Even she was surprised at how knowledgeable she was in handling and assessing the situation within Helena.  
  
But, when she saw her dream-self kissing Gabby, it played repeatedly and with a great deal more vigor each time, Dinah almost blushed. There was a great deal of jealousy rising in Helena, and she was shocked at how angry the brunette became over the small memory. With the dream over, and Helena back in her own body, she also caught a glimpse of Helena running straight from her room to Barbara's. Apparently the two had stayed up half the night discussing the matter, though Dinah didn't get to see it; she simply gain the knowledge that it happened.  
  
"Dinah?" Barbara asked gently, placing and hand on hers. Dinah hadn't even realized she was back in reality. Snapping out of her vision, she looked to Helena, who blushed. Barbara cleared her throat and looked at Dinah to get her attention. "Dinah. I know that is must be kind of weird for you, but I'd like to talk to you about what happened." The blonde nodded, and Barbara smiled slightly. "Now, what you told Helena . . . how did you know what happened?" her tone sounded almost worried, but neither of the young girls knew who it was for.  
  
"I don't know." She said quietly, sounding embarrassed, "I don't even remember it happening. I mean, just look! Helena had to show it to me . . . and I'm starting to wonder if maybe there was a reason I wasn't supposed to know." Dinah sounded scared and a little defensive. Barbara nodded and rolled away from the table slightly.  
  
"I think that you have a few more things you'd like to discuss, but before I go . . ." Barbara voice became cold, though her face changed little. It was as serious as ever, but now there was something new there, a exaltedness that hadn't existed before. "Dinah is seventeen, a minor, and Helena . . . you're not. You're twenty-three and because of your age I am expecting you to act like an adult. I have no problem with the two of you being . . . 'together' . . . but you are not, in any way - shape - or form to become involved sexually; is that clear?" Her voice was so calm it was almost eerie, both nodded mutely and the red-head rolled away. The two remaining girls looked to each other nervously and then looked down at their plates.  
  
"She took the words right out of my mouth." Helena said quietly. Dinah's eyes shot towards the brunette, who smiled back at her hesitantly. "Look, Kid . . . I like you. You know that, I know, and I know I've been a jerk." Helena sighed, her uncomfortableness obvious to the blonde. It was pretty evident that Helena was not used to saying sorry, and more than that; asking for forgiveness. Fidgeting in her seat slightly, she looked back at Dinah. "I just want you to know, that I'm *really* sorry and that I was just afraid." Her voice dropped to near silence, and Dinah sat up a little taller, trying to hear her better.  
  
"Dinah, I missed you last night." She said gently, "I've missed you every night you're not patrolling with me. It's one thing to have you on the Delphi, and another having you with me, D." her voice was tight, as though it hurt to say the words coming out of her mouth. "No one has ever just lain their back on the line for me in a long time. My mom did, and she's dead . . . Barbara has too, but I've never had to worry about her safety. For the longest time I've worked alone because I thought that anyone I took out there with me would end up six-feet-under or worse . . . But not you."  
  
"What?" Dinah asked slowly, voice and face shocked. Helena looked down at her plate, though her eyes couldn't focus on anything on it.  
  
"When we go out there, I'm not worried about you being able to hold your own because I know you can. Not only that, I know that you can watch your back, and mine as well. You've saved my life and risked ours more times than I can count now . . . you've gotten good, and I', proud of you." Helena finally looked up at Dinah and smiled slightly. It was honest, and it showed. "I want things to be alright between us, Dinah." She said quietly, and now it was the blonde's turn to look away. "I want us to be friends again, and I want you to help me with my Huntress - Helena thing you told me about." The brunette's voice was pleading. "I want us to be partners, like we used to be. And . . . and I - . . ." Helena trailed off, not sure of what to say.  
  
"Alright." Dinah said quietly, forcing the tears in her eyes back. "I'll think about it." Dinah looked back at her, and her face was a little cold. "You treated me like dirt these past two days, and more than that, you blamed me for something you *knew* I didn't due on something you *know* I can't control yet." Her voice was hard, and now Helena was the one who was scared. "I honestly don't know if I want to be your friend, or your partner anymore, because the woman I though I lov -" Dinah stopped quickly, never breaking eye-contact, and took a deep breath. "The woman I though I could trust, turns out to be a woman I realized I don't really know . . ." Helena's eyes burn with unshed tears, and Dinah got up.  
  
"Dinah, wait!" Helena said quickly, halting the girl as she started down the stairs. The blonde didn't turn around, but Helena got up, grabbing a box from the counter. "I have something for you." The young girl slowly turned, and the brunette saw that she too had slightly red eyes. "Consider it a bribe to forgive me?" Dinah came towards her slowly, and Helena handed her the box. As she pulled the lid of off the DocMartin shoe-box, her eyes fell of something leather.  
  
"What is it?" Dinah asked slowly. Helena reached into the box for her and pulled out a black-leather duster. As it fell to it's full length, Dinah wondered what was going on; the coat gave off a huge Telekinetic- Vibe.  
  
"My first Leather Coat." Helena said proudly. She put the box down, and held the coat up to Dinah. "It was a little long when I got it, so it should fit you alright, especially since you have such long arms." She said, taking it by the collar and holding it out for her counter-part. Dinah looked skeptical, but took it in her hands and examined it. it was worn in placed, the shine gone from the elbows and parts of the tail. The tingling the coat gave her was a almost as though her mind were trying to block a premonition. She tried to let one in if it was there . . . but still nothing.  
  
"Helena?" the girl asked slowly, "What is it?" she asked slowly. The brunette just shrugged and told her it was a coat. Dinah shook her head and asked again. "No, I mean; What Is It? It's not just a coat, Hel . . . there's something more to this, I can feel it." Helena smiled sadly, and sat back down. Dinah walked over slowly, her anger dissipating slightly from before.  
  
"You're right." Helena said quietly, "It's a little more than that." Holding out her hand, the blonde passed it to her. she ran her fingers over the slightly rougher parts, and sighed. "It's from back before half the pants I owned were back or made out of dead animals." She laughed sadly, "I never owned any leather, I thought it didn't fit me right. I always though it was far to binding and tight and it would make me look 'trashy'." Helena giggled slightly and looked at the tag in the duster as though it were fascinating.  
  
"My mom bought it for me." At that Dinah's eyes widened. "She thought it would look good on me . . . she spent a small fortune on it for out last birthday together . . . she only got to see me ware it twice and I only did it to make her feel better about buying it for me." Helena seemed to drift off, lost in thought, "She thought I'd look really good in black leather, said that was why she got it for me. I think it just reminded her of her when she was younger; before me. And a bit of Bruce." She started folding it neatly, and placed it neatly in her lap.  
  
"I wore it to her funeral . . . it rained that day. I knew it would damage the jacket but I didn't care. She thought it looked good on me, and I wanted her to think I was beautiful . . . especially now that she couldn't see me." Helena's voice became sad, and her face fell slightly. "When Barbara started training me and letting me go out on sweeps, this jacket was the first Huntress Costume." She chuckled at that, and for the first time it wasn't dark. "My first attempt at stopping a mugging got me a nasty black-eye and the woman ran away when I tried to give her the purse back." Dinah had to smile at that, she had never even imagined Helena scaring away a citizen; she'd always found the brunette so welcoming and enticing.  
  
"I want you to have it." Helena said seriously. Dinah's eyes grew to the size of diner plates and shook her head frantically, words failing her. "Dinah, I mean it. I know how much this means to me more than you do . . . I wouldn't give it to the wrong girl." Dinah fell still, and Helena just smiled at her, looking her right in the eyes. After a few seconds, she got up and walked over to the blonde. Gently taking the girls hand and pulling her out of the chair and smiled. "We'll start a new tradition."  
  
Walking behind the blonde, she ran her hands over her arms, and gently slid the jacket over the youth's shoulders. Whispering in her ear, Helena smiled.  
  
"What do you say, Black Falcon . . . . . how does it fit?" Dinah quivered at how close they were gulping slightly, she extended her arms out in front of her, only to see that the sleeves fit perfectly on her usually long arms. The well worn leather allowed her to move more easily as she raised the arms above her head and swoop them back down to her sides. Twirling, feeling the tail swing gently around her legs, she came face to face with the brunette; a small smile marring both their faces.  
  
"It feels like a dream." Came the blonde's quiet response. Helena's eyes flashed Feral for a second, and Dinah frowned. "Huntress?" She asked, voice going slightly cold again, the eyes changed back, and Helena blushed slightly.  
  
"Sorry about that." The brunette said quietly, "Good things never seem to last long, you know?" Dinah simply nodded, remembering what she saw from the dream, and remembering her own words. "So what do you say . . . Bribe accepted? Will you keep it in mind as you consider our . . . friendship?" The full meaning of the last word not lost on Dinah. Helena wanted more, but wasn't going to ask for it. Getting a glimpse into the brunette's head it was pretty obvious why; if they broke up, then the emotional trauma it would have on her couldn't be lain on anyone but herself. Guilt was heavy in Helena, and Dinah couldn't help but smile sadly.  
  
"Bribe accepted." She said quietly. The brunette smiled, and placed her hands on the blonde's shoulders before stepping back and picking the box off of the kitchen table.  
  
"Sweep later?" Helena asked hesitantly. Dinah thought it over, a playful smile on her face. Nodding again, she watched as Helena headed out of the kitchen and back down the stairs. "Be good to that coat; I know you will." She tossed over her shoulder. Dinah smiled and stepped to the rail. She watched as Helena walked to the elevator and stepped in. Smiling and waving up to her, Helena pressed the button for the lobby.  
  
"A New Tradition." Dinah said to herself, "I doubt we're the first this has happened to . . ." Little did she know how right she was. Barbara smiled and rolled back into the side room again, leaving the blonde to her thoughts.  
  
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( To Be Continued . . . )  
  
~VixenRaign~  
  
(Author's note: Sorry that took so long, I had some research to do for the chapter that not only took time but also energy and a better server than I have. I hope that you all liked this chapter, and that I hope all you readers a ready for some excitement. I might not be able to get back to this Fic for a bit, - again I know I'm a bitch for it, - so I hope that it's length is good enough for all of you that have been asking for it. I ask for penance, and offer you 'An Endless Storm' in return - Squibs and I are going to be collaborating on that one as she's INSANELY BUSY right now - and hope that you like it.  
  
_ 


	8. Ready To Run

= = = (* Connected *) = = =  
  
A lot of time had passed. Almost two months, in fact. Barbara had helped the younger girls assist in the arrest of a minor crime lord trying to replace the slowly dispersing remainder of the Hawk family. With Al behind bars, and Frankie Spitz dead, the rest of the mob was at a loss, and most of what was left had fled to the safe hold in Las Vegas. They would not be missed.  
  
Helena and Dinah on the other hand, were closer than ever. Over time filled with training, sweeps, and the odd stake out; hiding quietly on roof- tops and in the H2 for hours; had led to the two girl talking again. That talking led to repaired friendship, moving slowly into light flirting, and soon anyone who looked at them could tell mow much they cared for each other at a glance.  
  
Dinah got a job as a waitress at No Man's Land, and idea of Helena's so she could earn some extra spending money and be around more Metas her age. She enjoyed it, and Gibson was very understandable with her hours, making allowances for her 'Extra Curricular Activities' and the slight emergencies it could cause in her daily work-habit. Helena's boss at the dark horse, on the other hand, was not as forgiving. But, the two girls now worked similar hours, allowing them to be more synchronized. They could also swap stories at the end of the day about terribly annoying customers, and this was now almost a tradition to see who could come up with the worst one while training.  
  
For the past month or so, Dinah had been trying to help Helena with her 'Huntress' problem, but to no success. IT seemed that Dinah herself had practically been another person that night. She couldn't remember anything she seemed to know about psychology, and more than that, she couldn't get Helena and Huntress to separate in her mind as they had over two months before. And although their success seemed to be movie backwards if moving at all, they kept trying.  
  
Sitting in the training room, hand clasped in each other's, they were silent. Or, at least, not speaking. Helena's mind, however, was saying a whole lot. It seemed that every time Helena tried to quiet her mind, Dinah got more and more glimpses into it. She tried to block them out, but the more Helena tried not to think about certain things, the more the blonde caught her thoughts.  
  
Right now they seemed to center around their hand holding. Helena was thinking about Dinah's hands, and how soft they felt. Dinah didn't mind these kind of thoughts, but they weren't always this tame. A little over a week before Dinah had received a pretty clear shock from Helena, which contained a slight fantasy of hers. It basically evolved the brunette taking hold of the blonde's hands, pulling the girl forward onto her body as she rolled backwards, and then commencing in kissing her quite vigorously. Dinah didn't know what happened next because she'd pulled her hands out of the older woman's grip before the evidence of what she'd seen appeared upon her face.  
  
"Ugh!" Dinah grunted in frustration, pulling her hands away. "This isn't working! I can't even get you into my head lately, it's just your thoughts, and no you!" Dinah yelled as she kicked a set of collapsible sticks across the room. Helena sighed, though a smile could be seen forming on her face. "What's wrong with me? Why can't I get this stupid power of mine to work?!"  
  
"Calm down Kid," Helena said affectionately, "You're probably just forcing it too much. Besides, I think we should go with Barbara's idea of trying it again while you're asleep. It could be the key to all of this." Helena said, smiling as she pointed to her head. Dinah smiled and clamed slightly. Looking at the clock, she sighed huffily.  
  
"Shoot, we have to get to work." Dinah said as she picked up her towel and patted her face with it. Helena watched, and chuckled. She knew that the younger girl had a very strong ethic, but still, it was funny to watch Dinah take her job of delivering drinks and bar food to the people at No Man's Land.  
  
"I take it you're not eager to go tonight?" Helena asked, and she sipped her water. Dinah scoffed and pulled her hair out of the tie to shake it out.  
  
"No exactly." She grunted. "It's Friday. The same group of guys that are there every week will show up, talk about how they're going to be the next Justice League. They can't even control their powers completely! They're jerks. They'll stay until they run out of money, order their last round, and when I drop it off, the lead guy'll slap my ass and ask me if I want his number." Dinah was too busy trying to finger comb the knots out of her hair to notice Helena's eyes shift into Huntress mode, but Helena was able to shake it off before she asked her next question.  
  
"He slaps your ass?" She asked incredulously, "You can take on some of the worst street burglars in New Gothem, why not lay it on him?" Dinah just laughed as she headed towards the stairs down to the main level.  
  
"I like my job, and I don't want to get fired. Besides, as more and more time goes on the tips get bigger, as though trying to show they're nice guys. I'm never going to believe it, but it keeps me from losing my temper." The blonde laughed, and Helena was able to hold back the urge to find these guys and break their fingers.  
  
"Sweep later?" Helena asked she Dinah headed into the bathroom, taking her shirt off as she passed through the door. Dinah turned around and smiled, not clan on only her shorts and a sports bra.  
  
"Count on it." closing the door and leaning against it, she couldn't get the slightly glazed-eye look of Helena's out of her head. Chuckling, she listened as the brunette made her way to the elevator, and made up her mind.  
  
{Okay, enough of this beating-around-the-bush, Flirting-without- consequences crap . . . I think I've kept her at arms length for long enough.} Dinah smiled and hopped under the stream of warm water. {Now, how I take the next step . . . that's the hard part.} But the young girl couldn't help the smile the spread across her face at the prospect of perhaps letting Helena's little fantasy become a reality. {That is,} she thought suddenly, {Assuming she'll let me.}  
  
.  
  
= = = (* Work Ethics *) = = =  
  
There they were. The group of maybe five boys, the numbers change every week, and once again they were talking about how they were going to take over the city, but make it a better place. Dinah dropped off another tray of drinks to a table near by, and wondered which one of them might become the next Meta-Crime-Lord. {It's bound to happen,} she thought, {One of them will take their 'witty' banter seriously, and they'll become ambitious. Then Helena and I will have to kick the snot out of them when we catch them, and then Roscoe the Weight-lifter can smack *their* ass when they all get thrown in Jail.}  
  
It was thought like these that kept Dinah smiling when they called her over to collect their empties and order what she hoped would be their last round. Sure enough, when she dropped the array of Sodas and snacks off, the taller blonde boy slapped her ass. Grimacing, and considering for what seemed like the 100th time why she didn't take Helena's advice in kicking their ass, Helena tallied up their bill and left it on the table.  
  
"You want me to write my personal number on that tab and call it even?" He said, putting on what he must have thought was a charming smile. Dinah just laughed sarcastically and turned to leave.  
  
"Jason, you're such a dork!" One of the boy's friends yelled, "You always ask her to take you're number, and every time she shuts you down. Just give it up dude!" Dinah chuckled as she heard this, and wiped down a freshly emptied table. She didn't even notice 'Jason' behind her until she almost ran into him.  
  
"You sure you don't want this?" he asked, holding out a slip of paper that was sure to have his number on it. "Because I won't offer it again." he said it as though it was supposed to make the thing sound more appealing.  
  
"I'm sure." She said chuckling. She started to walk away, when he grabbed her shoulder again. "Look, buddy," she said, now getting irritated, "I'm seeing somebody, and I'm not gonna be looking you up any time soon even if I were single; get me?" she said angrily. He frowned slightly, and came in close to whisper to her.  
  
"Look, just take the paper, please? I've been betting for the past five weeks that you'd take my number, and every time I loose I have to pay for the drinks. Please, just do me this favor, and I'll leave you alone, alright?" Dinah felt sympathetic, but only for a second. God only knows what this boy would tell his friend even if she simply accepted his number for show.  
  
"Then take my advice; Don't be so cocky next time?" she said with a snide edge. She picked up her tray and made her way back into the store room, dropping the glasses into the steamer to be cleaned. When she stepped behind the bar, and started to untie her apron, she saw Jason walk up to her with the money to pay the bad, a pretty deep scowl on his face. She just smiled at him, and counted up the money and her tips, as she got ready to leave. Saying good-bye to Gibson, she grabbed her bag and headed out the door.  
  
Dinah stood out side the front of No Man's Land collectables for a minute, putting on her coat and putting her money into her bag. She took a few deep breath of the cooling November air. When the hairs on her arms suddenly stood on end, she knew it wasn't the cold, however. Looking up she saw that Jason stood just a short distance away from her, just looking silently, her face still stony.  
  
"I want my money back." He said coldly. Dinah was confused, then she saw two of his friends step out of the shadows behind him, and she suddenly understood. "The streets aren't safe for a girl at this time of night . . ." he drawled as his friends came to stand beside him. "Maybe I should walk you home?" it was a threat, though it was said with a sort of sickly sweetness.  
  
"I can get home just fine, thank you." She said quickly, making sure not to panic over this confrontation.  
  
"A bit of advice," he said as two guys could be heard leaving the shadows behind her, "Don't be too cocky?" just then the roar of a motorcycle could be heard running up the street. It pulled to a screeching halt at the curb next to Dinah, who sigh with relief silently.  
  
"Hey D." Helena said jovially, tossing her the only helmet. "Ready to go?" she asked. Dinah nodded and swung her leg over the back of the bike as she strapped the pulled the large black helmet over her head. Helena looked around the crowd of guys and raised and eye-brow. As she revved the engine and pulled away down the street she tried not to think about how good it felt to have Dinah wrap her hands around her middle and hold her tightly.  
  
"Tell me I didn't just save you from something back there?" Helena asked as they stopped at their first light. The blonde flipped the shaded plexy- screen up on the helmet and smiled sheepishly.  
  
"I could have handled it." Helena scoffed slightly and revved the engine again as the light turned green. Grabbing hold of the brunette again suddenly she nodded the visor down again.  
  
"You could take on five humans, maybe, but five angry Metas . . . ? I have to wonder, Kid." Dinah nodded silently, and trying to concentrate on holding on instead of the speed at which the older woman was going.  
  
"I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that those are the guys that have been harassing you?" Dinah nodded slightly, and Helena chuckled. "Let me guess, he was tired of getting turned down?" Another nod, and Dinah was forced to close her eyes. As the two pulled up into the parking space just out front of the tower, Helena's expression became serious. "You know you have to report them to Gibson now, right?"  
  
"I know. I'm going to tell him on Monday. The next time they come in, he'll take their pictures and post them on the No Admittance Board." Helena nodded happily as they made their way up to the Clock-face. Stepping into the main Delphi area, they were greeted with distracted hellos from Barbara who seemed to be preoccupied with something on the computer.  
  
"What's going on?" Helena asked as she sat on the Computer desks. Barbara just sighed and nodded towards the screen. There seemed to be an Open E- Mail from her school account, and she was writing a response in another open window. It was a rather rude letter from what must have been a very pissed of parent. Bryan Tickson's father, Dinah realized, as she perused the E-Mail as well. He was pissed, and he was planning a meeting with the school board.  
  
"Well, like father like son I guess." Dinah said as Barbara rubbed her eyes. {Gabby may have been right,} Dinah thought, {Barb might be a workaholic, and it looks like it might be catching up with her. She looks like she could *really* use a vacation. Good thing Winter break is coming up soon! She looks like she's benefit from a rest}. Suddenly her attention was caught by something else. Helena was looking at rather critically. Here eyes became Feral, her body switching into huntress, as the brunette slowly made her way over to the blonde.  
  
"Kid," she growled almost gently, as she slowly slinked behind the girl, making her shiver. She places a hand on either shoulder, and as the woman leaned in closer around her shoulder, past her ear, she realized what Helena was doing. {She's sniffing me?} Dinah thought, a little surprised. "Why do you smell like liquor?" she asked her quietly in her ear, though Barbara turned around to glare at her the second it passed the you brunette's lips.  
  
"Have you been drinking?!" the red-head sounded completely shocked. Obviously she knew that alcohol was not something that Dinah was into, and this was odd. The blonde raised an eye-brow and gave her mentor a sarcastic look.  
  
"I do work in a bar, you know?" The blonde shot back sarcastically. "Someone tried to run out on their tab, and wasn't looking where they were going. Spilled a whole tray of half-empty glasses on my apron. I washed off a little, but I guess it still seeped through." She brushed her hands down her shirt, and when she noticed a small maroon stain, she showed it to Barbara, she chuckled.  
  
"Hazard of the job." Helena chuckled, eyes normal again. Dinah nodded, and sniffed her shirt lightly. It smelled like Coke and Vodka mixed with Kalua and rum.  
  
"Ugh, I stink . . . I'mma go take a shower and get ready for sweeps, alright?" Barbara, now back to work, just nodded and waved vaguely, while Helena watched her as the blonde backed all the way into her room.  
  
.  
  
= = = (* Call Of Duty *) = = =  
  
About thirty minutes later, Dinah came running out of the bathroom, clad in only a towel. The sound of the Delphi going off calling to her. By the time she reached the monitors she'd just enough time to see Helena, who'd just jumped into the elevator, staring at her wide-eyes as the doors closed. There was a little, red light blinking on the large map.  
  
"There's been a breaking at New Gothem Savings Bank, Helena's going ahead to see what she can do. Get dressed, I think this could be bad." Dinah nodded, and darted back into her room to get dressed. As she was hurriedly putting her ComSet on, the coat Helena had given to her caught her eye. Taking an extra second to think, she quickly slipped it on and headed back to the Delphi area. Clicking on her mike she, she looked over the screens.  
  
"Update?" she asked the anyone who might answer.  
  
[ This is gonna get ugly. ] came Helena's voice in her ear. [ Looks like seven guys, two Meta, five human, or so I think. One of the hostages has been shot, there's a phone in her hands, so I think there might be police on the way. ]  
  
"They are." Barbara said, typing away and enlarging the map, where three blue dots could be racing along the map towards where the bank was. "One of them is Reese, the other two are rookies in training." Barbara sighed angrily, "What can you see?"  
  
[ Well, I've just learned why the Meta's are here. ] She replied, voice sounding surprised, [ What seems to be the lead guy is breaking into the Safe . . . with his bare hands. ] The two women left in the clock-tower looked at each-other for a second, then back to the monitors, seeing that the cops weren't far off. [ His hands, they turn into, like, Lava, or Hot Coals . . . he's melting right through it. ]  
  
"Well, seven guys sound a bit much, Helena, wait for the cop to get there, they're about three blocks off. Meet up with Reese, tell him what's going on in-side."  
  
[ Got It. ] Barbara watched as the little blue dots marked 'P' came up on the block where the bank was. Barbara started typing furiously, and a few seconds later, the live-video feed from the back's surveillance came up on the screen. Sure enough, right at the vault doors, stood a man who seemed to be slowly melting his way into the door. They must have underestimated the thickness, however, because even through the silent feed, the two crime- fighters could see that the others were getting angry with him, yelling for him to hurry.  
  
"I'm going out there." Dinah said, slipping her collapsible sticks into the backs of her boots.  
  
[ WAIT! ] Helena called through the Coms. [ Don't come out here, D. Reese and I might be able to handle this on our own, and I don't want you in any unnecessary danger. ] Dinah's face contorted into one of anger.  
  
"But I'm you're partner!" she yelled loudly, "Not Reese! Besides, I've already been battle tested, this isn't new to me!" Helena could be heard sighing, then a second set of foot-steps could be heard approaching. The aforementioned cop could be heard talking to the brunette through her comes. As they were chatting, Dinah was watching the monitors.  
  
"Uh, Helena . . ." She said haltingly, "Something's going on."  
  
[ What is it? ] she asked, worriedly. The blonde couldn't quite tell. The man who'd been melting through the doors had stopped once the cops had arrived. He was now standing in the middle of the bank, his hands stretched out on front of him, and something seemed to be growing between his palms. It was a dark sphere, she the man holding it was smiling menacingly. Suddenly he took it in one hand, and as one of his human associates opened the door, he tossed it out the bank like a bowling ball.  
  
"DUCK!" she yelled. There was a loud explosion through the ComSet, and the effect had left the bank in ruins, they'd assumed, because all the Cameras were out. "HELENA?! HELENA?!" Dinah called desperately into her mike. There was only silence. A few seconds later, she could here the woman coughing, trying to catch her winded breath. The blonde felt her heart start beating, and she slumped onto the floor. {Oh god . . . Talk about Hazard of the job! She ever does that to me again, *I'll* kill her!}. in the background they could hear a car being started, and men yelling.  
  
[ They're getting away! ] Helena yelled, her footsteps clapping into the mike. The shish of wind could be heard, and they knew the woman was roof- hoping after the would-be-bank-robbers.  
  
"I'm on my way!" Dinah called, grabbing the H2 keys, and heading to the lift.  
  
[ No! After that, I *know* you have to stay in the Tower! ] Dinah fumed and made her way down into the garage.  
  
"I'm coming Helena, and you can't stop me! You can't take these guys on alone, and you need my help. Besides, I'm not gonna let you. Now where are they heading?" She heard a click, and knew that the brunette had turned off her ComSet. "UGH!" Dinah yelled as the doors opened. Slamming an angry fist into the wall of the elevator, leaving a rather large dent.  
  
[ Give me a second to hack into the back-up GPS, ] Barbara's voice called into her ear, sounding rather annoyed herself. [We can track her and I'll send the trail to the On-Star system in the Jeep. No Get Going!] Dinah nodded, and could hear the red-head madly typing away. As soon as the turned the engine on, the little screen blinked on, with a little purple 'H' making a zig-zagged line across the city.  
  
"I'm off!" she called, putting the car into third as she hauled out of the parking lot, speeding through the city streets. She watched as the Cop cars near the bank were flipped back right-way-up, as the one car that seemed to have survived was heading in the wrong direction after a few blocks. Dinah looked at the screen, seeing that the line was heading slowly towards the shore, twisting as though trying to lose someone that might be following. She quickly headed to the Docks, knowing that there was no better place to hide.  
  
She arrived just in time to see them slam the entrance closed, and Helena to land almost on the hood of the H2. Turning to face the still angry blonde, the brunette didn't look too happy either. Quickly stepping out of the car, the blonde slammed the door, and pulled her sticks out of her boots.  
  
"I told you to stay in the tower." Helena said, a mix of pleading and angry. "I don't want to see you get hurt."  
  
"And I can't stay in the Clocktower *knowing* that if I don't come and help you, you *will* get hurt. I can't just sit back and let that happen, so don't ask me to." With that she looked to the now locked door. She sighed angrily, and then back at the Jeep, thinking that maybe she could use it to smash her way in.  
  
"Follow me," Helena said quietly, going around the side of the building. "All these warehouses have sky-lights that are really easy to open, so all we have to do it get up on the roof." When they reached the fire-latter, they saw that it was broken, and the closest rung was almost two-stories up.  
  
"Shit!" Dinah cursed quietly, stomping her foot, obviously not happy with the turn of events.  
  
"Jump on my back." Helena said, still looking at the broken fire-escape.  
  
"What?" Dinah said, shocked and confused.  
  
"If you jump on my back, I can get us on the roof. Now wrap your arms round my neck, and wrap your legs around my hips, like a piggy-back-ride." Dinah blushed profusely, but did as she was asked. "Ready?" the brunette asked. Dinah simply squeaked. The next thing the blonde knew, they were hanging from the rung, then the world turned on it's end as the older woman flipped them onto the roof another two stories up. As the girl slowly let go, she felt her knees shake slightly as she set them on the ground again.  
  
"Wow." Helena smiled, and walked towards the nearest sky-light. Dinah was still slightly grounded to the spot. {I knew she was graceful, powerful . . . but I guess I never realized how much so.}. Shaking herself out of her slight daze, she walked over next to Helena. "Okay, where are these scum- bags?" Helena pointed at them through the glass, and saw that they all seemed to be yelling at the Lava-Man. Telling him that it was their fault the heist went wrong.  
  
"alright, looks like you're gonna have to grab hold of me again." Helena said, looking around the room below.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because, we're four stories up, and there's nothing to land on anywhere near the skylights." She silently opened the hatch, sighing when it didn't creek. "You'll have to hold on and I'll jump down, okay?" She looked at Dinah as saw that the girl was suddenly very pale. Helena smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to you." Dinah nodded, obviously trusting Helena's good intentions, but not sure how far that'd get them.  
  
[ Be careful you two, ] Barbara said into their ears, [ We don't know how well armed they are. ]. Helena Lifted her arms, turning her back towards her blonde counterpart. As Dinah climbed on, holding tight with her knees, she felt Helena place a hand over her own.  
  
"When we drop in there, I want you to go for cover first, alright?" The brunette said quietly, turning her head so she could look at the blonde. "I'll head right for the lead Meta, that'll distract them, then you go for the humans. Alright?" Dinah nodded, and gripped the brunette firmly as she stood on the sill, preparing to drop.  
  
"Helena?" Dinah whispered urgently. The older woman turned her head to the side again, and saw that the blonde was nervous. Hesitantly, Dinah leaned forward and place a quick kiss on the half-Meta's cheek. "Okay, I'm ready." She whispered in a small voice. Helena laughed, and dropped, the sudden free-fall causing Dinah's breath to catch.  
  
They landed so silently, it almost scared Dinah. The girl hopped down and ducked behind some creaks while Helena charged the Lava-Man with a series of flips. IT seemed that the only person that'd noticed their entrance was a rather slow man with a hand gun, who opened fire of where he'd seen Dinah hide. Ducking to get out of the line of fire, the blonde heard her brunette counter-part start fighting with what must have been the Lava-Man. Once she heard the man trying to reload his gone she extended her Sticks, and jumped into the fray.  
  
Helena was having trouble with the Metas. The leader's hand must have been started, because they were glowing like hot embers, and Helena was doing her best to avoid them, though the small of burnt leather could be smelled in the air. The other meta, who Dinah saw was a levitator, was floating around Helena and kicking her in the back as she tried to fight.  
  
Running behind her partner, she smashed the levitator in the back of the head, causing him to fall to the ground. Rising into the air again, the two faced off. He kicked out, and Dinah ducked. Righting herself, she swung hard at his stomach, his lack of a solid brace causing to go sailing though to air and fall about 20 feet off. Fallowing the man as he shakily got to his feet, she started fighting with a vicious ferocity. It didn't take long before he was on the ground unconscious.  
  
"SHOOT HER!" Came the leader's call. Dinah just had time enough to turn and see the other five goons raise their guns and open fire on the stunned brunette. {HELENA!} The older woman turned her back on the firing squad just as the first shots ripped through the air, whizzing towards her.  
  
But not a one touched her. As the shots stopped for all but one bewildered shooter, Helena turned around to see that the bullets had been stopped in mid air. They seemed to be frozen in time, stuck, though they still glowed with their heat. As the five men dropped their guns and stared, Helena raised a hand to one of the suspended slugs. Pulling her hand back, burned, she looked on as the men ran from the building. All of the sudden, the bullets fell.  
  
And so did Dinah.  
  
.  
  
( To Be Continued . . . ) 


	9. Sleepless Nights

= = = (* Sleepless Nights *) = = =  
  
Three days. It'd been three long days, and Helena was starting to cry again. It seemed that every time she ran out of tears, she'd stop, and as soon as she had more to shed, she'd start again. She wasn't surprised, this'd been happening since she watched Dinah hit the floor of that warehouse with a 'flump'.  
  
Helena could remember, with sickening clarity, that whole night. Though the days between then, and where she was now, blurred slightly. They all seemed to mash together in a series of un-events and nothingness. But Dinah's fall and all events thereafter had a distinctive place in Helena's mind, along with the What-Ifs of 'If only Dinah'd stayed in the tower . . .' mixed in with a healthy does of 'This is all my fault'.  
  
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"Dinah!" Helena called, rushing over to her fallen counter-part, seeing that she was out cold. She shook her gently, trying to wake her, but there was no effect. She forced the girl's eyes open, but they were uneven, and she knew that wasn't a good sign. "Oracle! Oracle!" She called, panicking even more when there was no answer. She could feel her hands shaking and her eyes burning, mind racing as the silence bore into her. Suddenly she heard a crackling from Dinah's ear-rings and remembered that she'd never turned hers back on.  
  
"ORACLE!" she screamed helplessly as she switched them on. She heard Barbara wince from the noise that must have burned through the speakers at her yelling. "ORACLE HELP!" She yelled again, realizing that it had the sound of a cry to it, as thought she were pleading with some higher power.  
  
[What happened?!] Barbara asked quickly, [Where are they? Did they get away? Are you shot?] The question came at her like bullets themselves, but they were the wrong questions.  
  
"Oracle! Stop! I need Medical help!" she yelled, gently running a shaking hand over Dinah's cheek. It was cooling quickly.  
  
[You're shot? How bad, what do you - ]  
  
"NO!" Helena called, panicked, "I'm fine, something happened, I'm not hurt, I NEED HELP!" Barbara was silenced, her confusion obvious. "HELP, DAMN IT! SHE'S NOT MOVING!"  
  
[Who's not moving?]  
  
"DINAH!" she yelled, impatient, and scared, "Her eyes are two different sizes, and she's . . . she's cold."  
  
[WHAT?!] Came the Oracle's now panicked reply through the bat-earrings. [What do you mean? Is she breathing?] Helena leaned down, putting her cheek nearer to the girl's lips. Nothing. Her eyes widened, the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. But then she felt it. It was so faint that at first she didn't believe it.  
  
"Yes! Yes, she is! But just a little!" She put a gentle finger to the girl's neck and felt a pulse, just as faint and un-even. "This is not good . . ." she said quickly.  
  
[I'm calling an ambulance.] Oracle said coldly, obviously angry at the turn of events, and very confused.  
  
"No! There's not enough time! I can take her!"  
  
[Helena, No! You need to wait!] The red-head called quickly, voice getting angry.  
  
"If we wait, she could die!"  
  
[And if you move her she could die as well!] The older woman called, she could be heard typing furiously over the Coms.  
  
"I could never hurt her." She said coldly, lifting the girl as gently as she could. She kicked the door until it almost chattered into splinters, and jogged out to the H2. All the while, Barbara could be heard calling to her, begging her tearfully, to put her down, and wait for the Ambulance. Helena didn't listen, she couldn't listen. She needed to get Dinah to a doctor.  
  
"Tell the ER docs at Gothem County that they have a *real* Emergency on it's way it, so they'd better be ready when I get there." With that she stopped listening and gently laid the blonde in the now flattened driver's companion seat. She started the engine, and tore through the streets. She didn't even notice the cop car that started tailing her almost as soon as she'd left the Docks, sirens blazing.  
  
She hadn't cried yet, however. She couldn't cry yet, because at that point she didn't know how bad it was. Maybe it was nothing, maybe she'd panicked over a slight concussion, and her Blonde partner would be smiles and laughs by tomorrow . . . the way things had always been. She tried to focus on that; the memory of Dinah's smiling face as she thought up the term 'Liquid Guy', which she thought was pure brilliance. In the end, she was right; it had been the name the stuck.  
  
As she pulled into the ambulance dock and dashed out of the car, she didn't even notice that it had been Reese tailing her, clearing the way. All she could think about was the gurney coming to meet her as she nearly pulled the H2's door off in the process of trying to get her partner the medical attention she needed. As the nurses and men in scrubs took her, shining lights in her eyes, Helena tried to fallow, tried to understand what they were saying to each-other. But it might as well have been in another language, she didn't understand what an EKG was, a MRI or a Stem-Tap.  
  
But as the crowd passed through a set of red doors she felt a girl, a nurse, grab her arm gently.  
  
"We're very sorry miss, but you can't go in there." Helena growled at her, ready to strike. She didn't care that it wasn't this woman's fault Dinah was hurt, she didn't care that she was senselessly going to beat the nurse into a bloody pulp for being nothing more than the messenger. But then she felt a stronger hand on her arm as it raised. Turning around quickly she punched the strong-hand's owner. Reese flew half way across the ER, and slid on the over-waxed floors until his head hit a chair and he was knocked out.  
  
She needed answers, and she wanted them NOW.  
  
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A little over an hour later, Barbara arrived. She was zooming along in her chair so fast Alfred had trouble keeping up. She was pissed, and the scowl on her face let every one know it. As she reached the waiting room, she found Helena sitting on the edge of her eat, elbows on her knees, and her face in her hands. As soon as she heard the familiar whiz of the chair's motor, she looked up.  
  
Barbara's expression softened when she saw the look on the brunette's face. Her cheeks were stained with endless tears, and her eyes were red and tired. She was sitting so stiffly it looked painful just to watch. Barbara took the girl into her arms and hugged her as best she could, letting the woman sob openly, telling her things would be okay. After a few minutes, Helena ran out of tears again, and her heaving breaths lessened with them.  
  
"Did they tell you anything?" Barbara asked as they separated. Helena wiped her eyes and cheeks, shaking her head.  
  
"No, they haven't told me anything." She said with a sniffle, "They even talked about calling Children's Services on me; they think *I* did this to her!" She sobbed again, but it was dry, almost hysterical. "What are we going to do?" she pleaded, looking around the waiting room.  
  
"Don't worry, everything will be okay." She said firmly, though to be honest she didn't know. The injuries Helena had described along with the fact that Dinah must have been in pretty bad shape to have Children's Services called, Barbara was worried if they'd ever see the blonde again. "You wait here, I'm going to get some answers, okay?" Helena nodded mutely, not sure what else she could do.  
  
Barbara tried to alleviate her own grief by keeping busy. She stopped any doctor that came down the hall, all of them not knowing what was happening to Dinah. She final went down to the Nurses Desk in the main entry way, demanding answers. She didn't receive anything, except that she'd need to bring in proof of guardianship before she could see her, which wouldn't be for a while. Reese hobbled out from behind a curtain, catching Barbara by surprise. But then she remembered that he had no idea who she was.  
  
"Hello detective." She said, smiling as slyly as she could under the circumstances. The cop froze about half way through signing some release papers, and looked around wildly. He was looking for someone eye-level with him, and that fact alone made Barbara laugh. "Down here, Reese."  
  
"What?!" He jumped at seeing the red-head in the wheel-chair. " . . . Oracle?" he asked slowly, as though not believing it.  
  
"You were expecting a blonde, right?" she joked. He chuckled slightly, taking in the sight of her, and ran a hand over his hair, still trying to grip things.  
  
"Yeah, exactly." He joked back. He held out a hand to shake hers, which she accepted. "So now I've met the whole Huntress team, huh?"  
  
"Not quite, you're still one short." She said, thinking of Alfred. He nodded, but then stopped. He took a closer look at her, and pulled his hand back slowly. "What?" she asked slowly, wondering if he'd seen someone behind her.  
  
"I've seen you before." He stated suddenly. "I can't remember where . . ." Barbara tried to figure out where else they'd crossed paths, and was unable to recall anything. "Is your name Gordon?" he asked suddenly. Barbara eyes widened, and she started rolling away, though not in an attempt to escape. "It is, isn't it? A picture with you and your dad hangs in the entryway to my prescient. You're Barbara Gordon!" He said, slightly surprised.  
  
"Yes, I'm Ms. Gordon, daughter of Commissioner Gordon, and I teach English at New Gothem High-School - " She said, but pulled his sleeve until he was closer to her, almost face to face. " - But right now I'm still Oracle. Can you be trusted with this information?" Reese nodded quickly, but Barbara knew it was sincere. "Good. Now, we need some help, if you're up to it?" She said, letting go so he could stand properly again.  
  
"What do you need me to do?" he asked, sounding almost eager.  
  
"I need you to go to your office and access the *most recent* custody files on a Dinah Lance, but if the name comes up blank, then try Dinah Redmond. They won't tell me anything until I can prove to them that I'm her guardian." He nodded, and left the office quickly, heading out to the parking lot. As Barbara watched him go, she took an extra second to think. {This could be an interesting new development}.  
  
"What was all that about?" Helena asked as she wheeled back over towards the brunette.  
  
"Nothing. He's getting custody papers for Dinah so maybe these ass-holes will tell us something . . ." The red-head growled slightly, shocking Helena. The older woman never swore, and when she did you knew she was bordering on code red. Helena nodded, and got up to start pacing. Barbara could tell this was what she'd been doing before they arrived, there were black marks where her boots had scuffed the floor.  
  
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What had happened between then and where Helena was now consisted of yelling, bad news and (of course) more tears. Once the doctors finally let Barbara in on what was happening, Helena had tried to listen in. They spoke in science though, so Helena was lost. At one point she became so frustrated that she broke one of the chairs in the waiting room. Barbara told her to wait down in the cafeteria for her, and then she'd explain it in plane English.  
  
When Barbara came to meet her, Alfred looked as though he'd been slightly teary eyed a few moments before, and Helena knew that whatever it was had to be serious. Barbara sat down, and before the younger woman could get a word in, the red-head demanded an explanation.  
  
Apparently she'd been under the impression that this was a gun-shot wound. Helena sighed, and rushed through telling her what had happened. Barbara kept asking for details, but with no help from Helena, who couldn't answer her questions. Even *she* didn't know what'd happened. Barbara looked to Alfred, asking him to sit down, and then turned to Helena, finally ready to explain.  
  
The red-head explained that they'd taken pictures of her brain, run all kinds of tests, and scans, and they all came back with news that was beyond explanation. She had severe brain damage, and the brain was swollen in- side her head, and they'd had to take her into surgery so she wouldn't die. But, once they'd started, they'd realized that her brain in side her head had severe trauma, and it was akin only to Shaken Baby Syndrome.  
  
Her brain had almost been liquefied inside her skull, like when you shake an egg enough to break the yoke within the shell. This much Helena had put together, though how this'd happened; no one knew. From the out-side Dinah simply looked like she was sleeping. There were no broken capillaries, no facial swelling, nothing. They didn't even believe there was an emergency until they took her pulse and saw how weak it was.  
  
The end result was that Dinah was in a coma. The doctors had predicted that she would never come out of it, and at that revelation Helena'd punched the intern, who then had to be sutured by another intern. They'd only been allowed into Dinah's room two days ago, once all the papers had cleared and she'd been taken out of the ICU. Barbara had brought all kinds of tests and scanners of her own, and all the while Helena just sat silently by her bed side, holding her hand and not talking.  
  
With a lot of speculation and a few educated guesses they'd come to a viable conclusion. Dinah had saved Helena's life. She'd used her telekinesis to create a kind of force-field around Helena so that nothing could pass through it. The trouble was; Dinah's powers weren't developed enough for her to do that safely. The blonde couldn't do anything that she wouldn't be able to do as a regular human. The strain she might feel at lifting 20 pounds with her hands, would be the same amount if she lifted it with her mind. The only difference was; it was taken out on her brain, and most chores would make her mentally tired.  
  
So, when most people don't survive a single gun-shot wound to the brain, everyone was amazed to learn that Dinah's had survived the force of almost 17 bullets. They'd learned all this yesterday; Barbara, Alfred, Reese, and Helena. And ever since then the brunette hadn't stopped crying. {It was my fault!} Was her constant thought, {If I hadn't been so brass then she wouldn't have needed to save me in the first place . . . god this is all my fault!}.  
  
Helena had tapped into her birthright to pay for the hospital bills. Dinah didn't need it, as the bank they'd saved offered to pay the bill, but Helena insisted. She needed to feel that she was saving Dinah too. {It's the least I can do,} She rationalized, {A life for a life, and it's not like I'm being selfish and greedy with the money. Besides, Bruce would have wanted to save her; she really was a Hero.}  
  
It'd been three days, and Helena had yet to really shower or change since the night of the accident. She'd had nothing to drink or eat but Coffee, though even that wasn't enough to keep her awake. She'd cried her self to sleep three times in the past two days, and woke only when her hand was removed from Dinah's. The nurses had allowed her to stay past visiting hours on account of possible injury to staff if she was told otherwise. Also; they'd been told that Helena was her adopted sister, and the closest thing to family she had.  
  
Barbara always dealt with stress in the same way; work through it. She had run many tests, and would think up quite a few more before she really came to grips with what'd happened. Gabby had come to visit once, but only stayed for a few minutes. The sigh of all the machines scared her away, when she saw they were all attached to her best friend. Helena never left though, despite Reese's attempts to get her to go home, or to work, or back to fighting crime. The brunette just couldn't, and the cop couldn't understand why.  
  
"I know you can't hear me, but I don't know what else to do." Helena said, running a thumb over the girl's hand. "They told me you were a vegetable, that your brain was practically soup . . . vegetable soup." She joked sadly, wishing she had at least a few more tears left in her. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was almost 2:30 in the morning. She looked down at the elegant hand in her own callused one, with it's chipped back nails from where she'd chewed on them.  
  
"I can't tell you how much I miss you D, because I don't think there are words . . ." She whispered, "I don't think anyone was ever meant to feel this alone, so they never bothered inventing one. All I want is for you to wake up, to see you laugh and smile again like you always used to, but I know . . . that even if you did some day . . . it wouldn't be you." At that Helena's voice got shaky, and she had to take a deep breath.  
  
"The doctors, they said . . . well, they say a lot of things. Most of what they tell me I don't understand. I have to turn the Coms on and Barbara has to translate for me . . . I'm not as smart as you, Kid, I bet you'd know exactly what's going on. Besides, I know you like to watch that doctor show, but only when no-one's watching." Helena chuckled sadly, and interlaced their fingers. " . . . I wish you hadn't." She said a little more solidly, clenching her teeth to keep from chattering.  
  
"I wish you didn't do what you did. I'm thankful that I didn't get shot, don't get me wrong, but . . . I had plans for us Dinah, Baby . . . I was just waiting for Christmas." With that Helena couldn't stop the new tears that fell down her cheeks, unable to help the waver that'd taken to her voice. "I just needed the recent over-time to get the money, sweety, I was going to - I was - " But she couldn't say anymore. She broke down into full tears again, unable to help the emotion that over-came her at the thought.  
  
"Damn it Kid!" She yelled into the emptiness of the girl's room. "Heroes don't die this young, damn it! They're not supposed to die at all!" She buried her face into the side of the girl's mattress, trying to gain some kind of control again. Her body shook with her sobs, and she couldn't help the flow of emotions that seemed to over-take her like a wave. Looking up at the girl's face, she felt her heart wrench again  
  
There was no change. She had a tube in her throat to breathe, which was hooked up to a respirator, she had another tube in her nose so she could be fed, she had a catheter, and IV drip with scalene, among other things, and Helena hated it. She looked like some kind of computer with all the wires that were coming out of her, leading to all kinds of machines. But she still had that sweet, angelic face. The same one she'd tried to deny she'd look at so many times; the same one that used to scowl jokingly when Helena would tease her about her snoring.  
  
But unlike before the accident; it was expressionless. Dinah had always been easy to read for Helena because you could almost see her every thought in those pretty blue eyes of hers. Now those eyes were closed, and her face was blank and getting paler by the day. And the worst part was; There Was Nothing Helena Could Do.  
  
"I don't know what to say here Kid," Helena said, finally getting her voice to calm, though her eyes still teared. "I look at you and all I see is what could have been . . . what should have been, D. You weren't supposed to be here. If anyone was, it should have been me. I've been shot before, and I heal fast. Granted, I've never taken as many hits as you have, but I'd rather be in that bed than be standing here useless." Helena sighed, and ran a gentle hand of the fine blonde hairs on the young girl's head.  
  
"You gotta wake up soon, sweety," Helena said, leaning closer, "Because now that I've had you in my life . . . I don't know how I'm gonna go on with out you, Baby." With that she leaned forward, and kissed the blonde's lips gently. She felt a tickling down her spine, into her stomach, and a feeling of slight vertigo. The warmth of the lips beneath hers grew slowly until . . . She felt a gentle hand touch her cheek.  
  
"I could never really leave you behind, Helena . . ."  
  
( To Be Continued . . . )  
  
~VixenRaign~  
  
SatanslilAngl@yahoo.com 


	10. My Magic Kisses

Chapter 10; August 11th, 2004

= = = ( My Magic Kiss ) = = =

"Dinah?' Helena asked in disbelief. The blonde nodded, running a gentle hand through the brunette's short, unkempt hair. The older girl reached up and touched the hand to make sure it wasn't a dream. She felt the soft warm skin of a hand she'd missed holding. She couldn't help the emotions that suddenly surged through her, and before she even really stopped to think about it, she dived forward and claimed the younger woman's lips in a deep, needing kiss.

They were warm, soft, and giving; perfectly molded to the brunette's mouth as though they were the key to a lock that was dying to be opened. She'd found the match, and like a wave of wants - passion seemed to overtake her every sense. She could feel the soft skin of the cheek under her hand, the slightly fruity taste of the blonde lips and tongue, the sound of her hart as it hammered in the younger girl's chest, but it was the girl's scent that made her realize.

She smelled the way she always had; clean, and fresh. Someone that'd been laying, unmoving, in a hospital bed for half a week did not smell that way. And although Helena's smile and tears of joy were nothing compared to the overwhelming feeling of gratitude she'd felt for whoever has returned her angel to her, she felt ten times worse when the truth came crashing down around her. {_This can't be real_,} she thought, {_But I don't want to wake from this dream_}. Pulling back from the kiss, she kept her eyes closed, unwilling to believe.

"No Helena," Dinah said, smiling sadly, "This isn't real." Helena finally opened her eyes with a look of confusion and the blonde sighed, trying to figure out how to explain it. "Think 'The Matrix'; all your senses are electrical impulses interpreted by your brain . . . I just figured out how to send you the right kind of signals."

"So this isn't a dream?" She asked, not sure what was going on. Dinah gave her a small smile, and shook her head. "But it's so real . . . everything, the room – " She said, pointing around to the atmosphere around them. "– How is this . . . ?" she trailed of, not quite sure what she was asking or if she wanted to know.

"We mind jumped." Dinah said gently. "The moment you touched me, the second you first held my hand after what the doctors told you . . . you mind was reaching out to me. I got wave after wave of memories and thoughts. I couldn't shut it off, I've seen everything you've seen the entire time you've been holding my hand, Helena." Half her mouth climbed into a lop-sided grin, and she looked down at the hand in her lap.

"I would have mind-warped you sooner, but I needed a little something more . . . your kisses." She said, blushing, but looking back into those blue eyes, "Your kisses are the key." She said even more quietly. "All the things you feel, see, taste, hear, smell . . . all of them were yours; your memories. Seems I've been on your mind a lot these past few days. I just wanted to make you feel comfortable." Helena smiled, and sat closer to her on the bed, taking both the girls hands in hers, unable to help the sadness within her when the truth struck her.

This wouldn't be when their connection was broken. When she let go, Dinah would still be in a coma, and Helena would have to see the frail body in the bed rather than this beautiful pink-cheeked girl with her now. She didn't want to wake up, not ever. She wanted **this**, she wanted the lie, even if she knew that's what it was. It was better than the reality and the truth that came with it.

"Helena, stop thinking like that." Dinah told her softly, making the brunette look at her a bit side-ways. "We're still linked. I'm trying to block your thoughts to give you a bit more privacy but . . . the pain you're in, the thoughts you're latching on to . . . they're hard to ignore; they seem to be the only things on your mind." She said with a sad laugh.

"Can you blame me?" Helena asked back defensively. Dinah laced the fingers of their hands together, and sighed deeply.

"There is good here, Helena. Can't you see that?" Silence, and a blank stair fixated on their hands was all she got in return. "Helena, do you remember what the doctors told you? What Barbara told you?"

"About what? They all said a lot . . . most of which I still don't understand."

"Hel; do I look brain-dead to you?" At that the woman looked up at her, a glimmer of confusion the only emotion evident on her gaunt face. "Helena I couldn't be here, in your mind with you, if I was brain-dead. In fact, I'm far from it. Do you remember when I first arrived in New Gothem and you and Barbara ran those meta tests on me to see if I was lying about my abilities?" the brunette's eye narrowed as she remembered.

"The kind of tests the doctors are running on my brain aren't working, Hel. My brain works differently than human ones. In fact; that's **why** they think I'm brain dead. As my powers got stronger, my body had to adjust, do you understand?" After a second, Helena cracked and shook her head.

"Well, when a person does weight training, their body has to adjust - - change physically - - to transform to better accommodate the new abilities the person's body is developing. It's the exact same with my brain. All my strength from telepathy comes from my brain, Helena. So when I really needed more strength then my brain could handle, it had to change - - adjust."

"But Dinah," Helena said haltingly, interrupting her, "You brain was liquefied inside your skull. Not only that but the doctors said that your brain was swelling inside your head . . . there are so many reasons why you should be long dead by now." She said it as though she was almost scared that the blonde wasn't. Not that she wanted it, but the idea that she might be in terrible suffering and there was nothing she could do to stop it scared her more than anything.

"Sweet-heart," Dinah said affectionately, placing a calming hand against the older woman's cheek. "Look at us; think about where we are! I made the trip all the way into your head from my body, absorbed all your thoughts and memories from the past four days, I can make you hear and feel and taste and see things as though they were real . . . do you honestly think I could do that if I were dead? Or even **close** to dying?" While Helena tried to absorb this information the younger girl continued on.

"Helena, Liquid can absorb more pressure than a gel can. In order to stop the bullets, that's the change I had to make. Now, there were some less than pleasant side-effects to the alteration, but I wouldn't change my decision." She said it solidly, but Helena's face still looked guilty as she heard it. "Hel." She stated firmly, forcing the girl to face her, "Even if the change would have killed me, I still would have done it. But I got lucky - - I'm still alive. Now, what I need for you to do is to tell Barbara what I told you."

"What?' Helena asked, a little lost again.

"Tell her everything I've explained to you. She'll be able to formulate some new tests, and maybe she can help me figure out how to get out of here."

"What?" Helena asked quickly, "You're trapped?!" Dinah blushed, looking down at her lap.

"Sort of." She muttered. Just as the brunette looked like she was about to go on a verbal tirade, Dinah continued, "Look! Sleep is the body's natural method to healing the brain. A Coma is just forcing the body to stay in the deepest level of sleep so that maximum progress can be made . . . if this is how I have to get better then I **_can_** wait. But if there's a way to figure out how to safely speed up the process, I'll gladly consider it."

"Dinah, listen – "

"No, Helena; you listen." She stated, sounding a lot more mature and in-charge than she usually did on the out-side, "You want me out of here, then I'm going to need your help. I need you to act as the messenger between Barbara and myself, I can't mind-warp with her."

"Why not?" at that the blonde seemed to get a little huffy and sighed.

"Where's the coat?" she asked, sounding annoyed.

"What coat?"

"Your coat! The one your mother gave you - - I was wearing it the night you almost got shot. . . Do you remember when I told you I got a vibe from your duster?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, the vibe turned into a full-on upper-cut to my central nerves-system." She ground out, trying to control some of her anger. "I tried to link with my doctors, I tried to link with Barbara, even Alfred. Seems the only way I can get into a person's head is if they kiss me." She smiled sarcastically, "And no; I will not kiss Barbara. Besides I doubt it'd work."

"Why do you say that?" Helena asked, not liking the idea of the blonde kissing Barbara either.

"Ask your mother." She said flatly, "I think this is her way of forcing us to work out our issues."

"My mother?" Helena asked quietly, hesitant.

"Yeah. It was her essence I felt when I picked up the coat that first time; it was her that told me to wear it that night, and it was her that allowed my brain to make the change fast enough to not only save you, but also to survive." She smiled at that though, "I think she saw in me the same things she liked about herself. We were both raised poorly, but came out of it as morally forward people . . . and we would both give our lives to save you; in so many ways." She ran her hand down the brunette's cheek, wiping away a tear that'd suddenly fallen from the older woman's eye. Then Dinah chuckled darkly.

"But, I think this whole link-through-kisses thing is over-stepping her motherly bounds. Besides, I think she knows that even if I **_kissed_** some one else . . . My **_heart_** still belongs to you, Hel." With that she smiled and ran her hands through the brunette's hair again. {_How did I get this lucky_?} Helena wondered, {_Where did I go right?_}

"Just born with it in your heart, babe. Can't be helped." With that the blonde sighed, pulling the older woman's face closer. "Ready to go?" she asked, her warm breath feeling so good against Helena's lips. But it wasn't enough. The internal panic that coursed through the brunette at the thought of leaving was enough to make her almost lash-out at the blonde.

"What? **Go**?! **_Now_**?!" she asked, almost frantic, "I can't go now! I just got here! What if this was all just a dream, and when I wake up I have to go back to watching you get thinner and paler by the day? Or - - even worse! - - what if this is real, and after I leave, I can't get back in again, and Barbara can't help you get better – "

"HELENA!" Dinah practically yelled, pulling her back in again. "Can you feel this?" she said, adding a little pressure to the hand she had at the woman's cheek, "Can you feel this?" she asked, running her other hand down the brunette's back slowly, causing her to shiver, "Do you want to feel me kiss you again?" she asked softly, breathlessly, leaning so close their lips were centimeters apart. Helena nodded.

"Yes . . . I can feel it . . . and I want it." she said, made breathless and dizzy by the powers contained in the blonde's head. {But they feel so **real**! . . . and they feel so _good_ . . .} Unable to stand it any longer, her body betraying her, she found herself leaning in, and her lips tenitively reaching out to grasp those of the young woman she'd come to love so much in such a short period of time. As she felt the soft sigh against her lips as they came together, she nearly swooned. Even if everything she was feeling was dreamed up in the girl's head . . . she certainly knew how to spoil a girl!

But almost as soon as she'd started to fall into that thought, and begin to indulge in the feeling of the lips under hers, she noticed them slowly grown colder; she silent sound of the room fading, slowly replaced by the beep-beep of the heart monitor as it droned away; it seemed all that remained was the soft and supple feeling of the lips under her, though the smell she'd not missed one bit can along with it – of overly-sterile floors, heavy-starched sheets, and _hospitals_. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw that she had been dumped back into reality; her worst nightmare.

"Helena!" She heard Barbara's voice calling from behind her, sounding shocked, "What are you doing?!" Lifting her head up and away from the girl's, she spun on her heals to face Barbara. She had stopped in the doorway, looking stunned to find the brunette doing what she was doing, a large stack of papers in her lap. But Helena couldn't help the smile that broke out over her face as tears came down her cheeks again - - this time in reality.

"Barbara!" She choked, "She's alive... and she's awake!"

.

( To Be Continued . . .)

VixenRaign

Author's Note: Sorry this up-date took me so long, I can't even begin to explain the myriad of shit that went on and that got in the way... so tragic. But the point is – Learn To Fly Free still lives on, and I plan to keep up-dating it now that I have a bit more time to do so. But that does not mean I will be up-dating this thing every week; oh no! But it means I won't wait over 9 months either. Hope that's somewhat to your liking.

To Dallas: I decided that I had to at least try and up-date this fic as both Roman Holiday and Lazy August were not going to be completed by you're b-day. For that I am terribly sorry, but I hope this chapter is a small consolation. Enjoy. Vixie


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